The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is partnering with Russell Westbrook‘s exclusive clothing line to design social justice shirts, which could be worn by NBA players at the league’s “bubble.”
Westbrook’s clothing line, Honor the Gift, was founded in 2016. This is how the line is described in the information page on its website: “Inspired by Russell Westbrook’s youth, Honor the Gift is built out of respect for where he came from and where anyone can take themselves.”
The latest news was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic. Per Charania, the project allows players to incorporate some messages that were not approved by the league for placement on the nameplate of player jerseys. The NBA recently offered players the new option of statement jerseys amid the growing U.S. racial justice movement.
Several of Westbrook’s teammates in Houston, including respected veterans Austin Rivers and Tyson Chandler, had expressed frustration that their desired selections were not included on the approved list.
Per Charania, message options for the new shirts are expected to include the following: “Systemic Racism,” “Police Reform,” “I Can’t Breathe,” “No Justice No Peace,” “Break the Cycle,” “Strange Fruit,” “By Any Means,” “Power to the People,” “Equality,” and “Am I Next?”
Westbrook has personally increased his voice in recent weeks on racial issues, especially with the NBA on hiatus due to COVID-19. He spoke at a Black Lives Matter protest near his hometown of Los Angeles in June, and he later participated in a virtual Tulsa Juneteenth rally. That city is close to Westbrook’s initial NBA home of Oklahoma City.
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Now 31 years old and a nine-time NBA All-Star, Westbrook has yet to arrive at the league’s restart location in Florida due to his ongoing recovery from COVID-19. According to the Rockets, the league’s 2016-17 MVP is doing well and is expected to arrive soon.
The current 2019-20 season is set to resume later this month, with scrimmages for all 22 invited teams starting this Friday. As such, that spotlight offers a unique messaging opportunity to NBA personnel, and the shirts under Westbrook’s line could very well prove effective.
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Sources: Message options for new NBPA/Russell Westbrook lifestyle shirts: Systemic Racism, Police Reform, I Can’t Breathe, No Justice No Peace, Break the Cycle, Strange Fruit, By Any Means, Power to the People, Equality, Am I Next? https://t.co/N5uXh7Ss9L
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 19, 2020