Static — Last Guys Off The Bench

We have been here before. Too many times. Another incident of police brutality. Another example of the everlasting stain of systemic racism in this country. The citizens of this nation are fed up. The recent shooting of Jacob Blake sparked the players’ of the Milwaukee Bucks, followed by players throughout the entire NBA, to strike and refuse to play their Wednesday playoff games. This action was then followed by teams in the MLB, WNBA, MLS, and other leagues to strike in response to continued police brutality and systemic racism.

This is a powerful stand and a historic one. NBA players have been on the precipice of striking on behalf of civil rights before (in 1968 following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and in 2014 during the scandal associated with former disgraced owner of the LA Clippers Donald Sterling). This time is different. This time a strike took place as professional athletes in multiple leagues joined together in protest of the lack of change and progress toward ending police brutality and systemic racism.

In a joint press release, the NBA and NBPA have since determined to resume play. The two groups have agreed to work together to increase and promote access to voting, to advocate for police reform, and to fight against social injustice and racial inequality. The full statement can be found here.

Now, each NBA Team Owner must take action. The league and the players demand it. The league should require all teams to designate portions of revenue to combat social injustices and inequalities. Each team should help support these efforts at a national level, but they should focus their efforts at the local level, within the communities that each team calls home. . This financial support can be used to propel the initiatives outlined in the joint statement above.

Although games will resume today, the ongoing movement and fight against injustice must remain at the forefront of our minds, as it is so much bigger than any one sport or any one game. Change is coming and it is up to each and every one of us to act.

Links off the Bench

• Pod Save the People
• This Game is Unavailable
• Returning to the Court
• What NBA players should do with this Power

Originally published at https://lastguysoffthebench.com on August 29, 2020.