NBA players agreed to come back to play in Orlando as long as the league allowed them to voice their social and political concerns. The players decided to wear t-shirts with ‘Black Lives Matter’, while the league also agreed to write it on the court.
However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently said on his podcast that not all team owners were actually ok with that thought. In fact, it was Commissioner Adam Silver the one who took a stand and convinced them to please the players:
“Not every owner in the NBA was enthusiastic about having ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the court. I know they all weren’t. Some are extremely supportive. Some less so. None of them publicly so (to criticize). But I do know Adam Silver told them, ‘Hey guys, this is what we’re going to do to support our players. Our league is overwhelmingly comprised of African American players. This is important. This is a partnership. We need to work together to get through this season and into next year,” Woj said, as reported by Real GM.
Needless to say, the relationship between the players and team owners isn’t exactly great. They’re recently advocating for holding them accountable and demanding they get involved in social justice initiatives, far beyond the $300 million over 10 years they agreed to donate:
“I will be curious on how the relationship and partnership goes forward. So far, what has allowed this thing to work, especially the Players Association and the league, more than any of the other (sports leagues), they have been able to really come together on stuff. I do wonder if there will be some splintering off among ownership if this season unravels,” Wojnarowski concluded.
It’s not a secret that most team owners are some of the wealthiest and most politically connected people in the world. That’s not always going to work in the people’s best interest. That’s why players will continue to push them to try and inspire change. They have the platform and resources to do it.
