As the NBA Finals rage on, a prominent issue has taken center stage in America. Over the past few months, multiple shootings have taken innocent lives all across the country, and it has sparked a major debate about gun control.
Already, both the Celtics and Warriors have sported shirts to call for an end to the violence. According to Jaylen Brown, there’s even a chance that both teams could take it further by boycotting a game:
“It could. Definitely, things need to be addressed… It raises awareness. It gets people’s attention… I think it’s an effective strategy that could work. We’ll see.”
Jaylen Brown on recent gun violence and if it will ever come to BOS/GSW deciding not to play:
“It could. Definitely things need to be addressed… It raises awareness. It gets peoples attention…I think it’s an effective strategy that could work. We’ll see.” #Celtics
— C. (@ChelseaSherrod) June 7, 2022
The gun problem has been a topic of division for countless years. We won’t get into the issue here, but the NBA does empower its players to use their platform and it’s clear that both the Celtics and Warriors have no issues voicing their concerns about one of America’s longest-standing dilemmas.
After the Uvdale shooting in texas, Warriors coach Steve Kerr took a few minutes to address the media and speak about the subject:
“When are we gonna do something? I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastating families that are out there and I’m so tired of the excuses,” Kerr said. “I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough! There’s 50 Senators right now who refuse to vote on HRA, which is a background check rule that the house passed a couple years ago. It’s been sitting there for two years and there’s a reason they won’t vote on it: to hold onto power. So I ask you, Mitch McConnell, I ask all of you Senators who refuse to do anything about the violence and school shootings and supermarket shootings, I ask you: are you going to put your own desire for power ahead of the lives of our children and our elderly and our church-goers? Because that’s what it looks like. It’s what we do every week. I’m fed up, I’ve had enough.”
Boycotting an NBA Finals game would be a pretty bold move, and many fans are split if such an action is appropriate or not.
But these teams don’t care about what others have to say. They are taking a stand against something much bigger than basketball and want to use this moment to try and make a positive change in the lives of ordinary Americans.
It’s a commendable cause and a positive sign that these players understand the things that really matter in life.
