Tag: Black Lives Matter

Russell Westbrook calls on NBA owners to back social justice movement

“I think it’s important that our owners understand all the social injustices that go on in today’s society,” Westbrook said.

Russell Westbrook‘s return to the practice court Wednesday with the Houston Rockets also served as his first widespread media availability since the 2019-20 NBA season was suspended in March.

While much of the session was focused around basketball topics and his recovery from COVID-19, another discussion point was the growing U.S. social justice movement and Westbrook’s personal role.

When asked about his increasing voice on racial issues, Westbrook called on NBA owners to help support the Black Lives Matter movement.

I believe the owners play a huge part. Obviously, owning the teams and knowing our league is predominantly black. I think it’s important that our owners understand all the social injustices that go on in today’s society, how it impacts each one of our communities, where we grew up, for them to be able to show their support.

Not just for our team, but for the black community, because I believe it goes a long way for players like myself in this league to know that you have owners and people you play for on your side. Understanding how important it is to represent the black community.

Following the death of George Floyd in late May, Westbrook has taken on an increasingly active role as the movement has grown. In June, he spoke at a Black Lives Matter protest near his hometown of Los Angeles, 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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Earlier this week, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced that it was partnering with Westbrook’s Honor the Gift clothing line to design social justice shirts that could be worn by players at the NBA “bubble,” as the league approaches its restart. Westbrook wore one of those shirts during his media availability on Wednesday.

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As for the owner of Westbrook’s own team, the Houston Rockets, Tilman Fertitta said in early June that he supported the protests and vowed to be a leader on issues of racism and police brutality.

“There is racism,” Fertitta said. “There is police brutality. I will use my leadership and my resources and my place in this city to not just point out the problem, but to be part of the solution.”

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Westbrook has plenty of leverage and a large platform as a nine-time NBA All-Star and the league’s 2017 MVP, and he’s using that to help ensure that NBA owners continue that commitment in the months ahead.

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La NBA revela nueva cancha en Orlando con el mensaje ‘Black Lives Matter’ pintado en la duela

Las cosas en la burbuja de la NBA en Orlando están a punto de ponerse serias, pues los partidos amistosos entre los equipos comenzarán el miércoles. Esta noticia llega dos días después de que la liga anunciara que no ha habido ningún nuevo caso …

Las cosas en la burbuja de la NBA en Orlando están a punto de ponerse serias, pues los partidos amistosos entre los equipos comenzarán el miércoles. Esta noticia llega dos días después de que la liga anunciara que no ha habido ningún nuevo caso positivo de COVID-19 en las pruebas realizadas a los 346 jugadores presentes.

El martes, la liga reveló la cancha en la que los equipos jugarán cuando empiece la acción y, la verdad, se ve muy bien.

El espacio incluye medidas para el distanciamiento social en las bancas, diseñadas para mantener a todos a salvo. Además han instalado enormes pantallas que fungirán como Jumbotrons.

Además, en la duela vemos el mensaje Black Lives Matter, tal como la liga prometió cuando estaba organizando el plan para la burbuja en Orlando.

Checa esto:

Se ve genial. Ojalá todos sigan sanos y las cosas salgan conforme a lo planeado, pues este va a ser un salvaje final de la temporada.

Artículo traducido por Gabriela Enríquez

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First look at Disney restart courts with ‘Black Lives Matter’ revealed

Take a look at what the courts the Boston Celtics and 21 other Disney restart will be using, complete with “Black Live Matter” printed on them.

We finally have our first look at what the courts will look like for the NBA games played at the Wide World of Sports complex at the Disney-hosted campus in Lake Buena Vista, Florida at the end of July.

USA TODAY Sports NBA reporter Mark Medina has been reporting from the Disney campus since last week, and has shared images and video of what the court will look like for all 22 teams participating in the restarted 2019-20 season.

The Boston Celtics and 21 other teams in the so-called Orlando-area ‘bubble’ season resumption will do so on a special court, complete with socially-distant seating for the few spectators in attendance.

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Players union partners with Russell Westbrook on social justice shirts

The National Basketball Players Association is partnering with Westbrook’s exclusive clothing line to design social justice apparel.

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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James Harden says he didn’t know political symbolism of blue mask

“Honestly, I wasn’t trying to make a political statement,” Harden said. “I just wore it because it covered my whole face, and my beard.”

Houston Rockets star James Harden inadvertently created a social media firestorm on Thursday night, when social media posts from his team and the NBA showed him wearing a controversial blue mask.

Harden’s face covering included a thin blue line, which has become known as a symbol representing the Blue Lives Matter organization. Critics have claimed that the pro-police symbol also stands for white supremacy and opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Earlier Thursday, Harden stated his support for Houston’s recent march for George Floyd, a black man, died on May 25 after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis. As a result, it seemed farfetched that Harden would wear the blue mask with understanding of the symbolism.

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On Friday, Harden clarified before Houston’s practice at the NBA “bubble” in Florida that that was indeed the case.

“Honestly, I wasn’t trying to make a political statement,” Harden said. “I just wore it because it covered my whole face, and my beard.”

Harden was then directly asked if he knew the meaning. He replied:

No. I just felt like it was something that covered my whole face, and the beard. I thought it looked cool, that was it.

Harden explained that many conventional masks are difficult for him to wear, owing to the size of his famed beard.

The 30-year-old Harden, who has not been outspoken on political issues during his eight years in Houston, finished his comments on the mask controversy by making a clear statement regarding his personal beliefs and his support for the growing U.S. racial justice movement.

“It’s pretty simple,” Harden said Friday. “As I clearly talked about yesterday, me finding a way — whether it’s my jersey name, or another way, to show my support for Black Lives Matter.”

“Honestly, in every profession, there are people that honestly do their job at a high level,” Harden continued. “And then there’s BS people, in every profession. That was it. I wasn’t there to make a political statement.”

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James Harden wants NBA restart to bring ‘positive energy’ to world

“Hopefully, with the NBA being back, it can give some positive energy and give the world something to look forward to,” Harden said.

Thursday’s media session with James Harden from the NBA “bubble” in Florida was his first true availability in more than four months.

The last time the Rockets star had spoken to reporters in an open format was after Houston’s home win over Minnesota on March 10. That was the day prior to the 2019-20 season’s suspension due to COVID-19.

In the more than four months since, the world has changed in many ways. Between continued developments with the pandemic and the growing racial justice movement following the death of George Floyd, many have wondered whether it makes sense for the NBA to resume, given the unprecedented set of converging circumstances.

On Thursday, after his first practice since rejoining his teammates, Harden said he believed the NBA’s resumption could play a positive role in 2020 by giving people around the world something to look forward to.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Harden said of the last few months. “Like, it’s been so many things. I think every single day, it was something new. It was something different that hit the world, or hit social media.”

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From there, Harden explained how the NBA might help matters:

For us, it’s bigger than basketball. But I feel like now, it’s a great opportunity to give the world something positive to look forward to. With the racial issues going on and COVID and everything, it was just a lot of craziness in these last four months.

So hopefully, with the NBA being back, it can give some positive energy, give the world something to look forward to as far as watching us play, and hopefully we can just keep moving forward.

Now 30 years old, Harden is an eight-time NBA All-Star and the league’s 2017-18 MVP. For a third consecutive year, the 6-foot-5 guard is leading the entire NBA in scoring this season at 34.4 points per game, and he’s also averaging 7.4 assists and 6.4 rebounds each time out.

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Harden’s Rockets (40-24) will enter the restart tied for the No. 5 spot in the West, with their first regular-season game set for July 31 versus Southwest Division rival Dallas. “The Beard” is clearly at home on the court, and he hopes the fun extends to those watching the games, too.

“The world knows that no matter what is going on, James Harden loves to hoop,” Harden said on Thursday. “He’s a competitor.”

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James Harden proud of Houston’s march for George Floyd

“Obviously it was for a tragic reason, but the marching and everything we’re standing for is very powerful,” Harden said of the march.

When more than 60,000 people marched through the streets downtown Houston in early June in honor of George Floyd, Rockets star James Harden wasn’t able to attend. Due to the NBA’s suspended 2019-20 season as a result of COVID-19, Harden wasn’t in town.

Nonetheless, Harden says he was proud of what took place in his NBA city, which also happens to be the city where Floyd grew up. Floyd, a black man, died on May 25 after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis.

On Thursday, when Harden returned to the practice court with the Rockets for the first time since the pandemic hit, he was asked about the reaction to Floyd’s death in his city. Harden responded:

The way the city rallied, it was amazing. I think the world saw it. How so many people could come together. Obviously it was for a tragic reason, but the marching and everything we’re standing for is very powerful.

Many of Floyd’s family members took part in the peaceful demonstration, as did prominent Houston athletes such as Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and former Rockets guard Gerald Green.

Harden said Thursday that he had yet to decide whether to place a social justice message on the nameplate of his Rockets jersey, as is the limited option for NBA players once the league restarts in late July.

“I’m in the process of figuring out if I’m going to put a message on my back or another way to deliver my message,” Harden said Thursday. “But somehow, my message is going to get across.”

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar demands stronger fight against anti-Semitism

SportsPulse: In a recent column for The Hollywood Reporter, NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar speaks about the anti-Semitic remarks from Stephen Jackson, DeSean Jackson and Ice Cube and questions why there wasn’t more outrage from the sports and entertainment world.

SportsPulse: In a recent column for The Hollywood Reporter, NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar speaks about the anti-Semitic remarks from Stephen Jackson, DeSean Jackson and Ice Cube and questions why there wasn’t more outrage from the sports and entertainment world.

Jets RB Frank Gore: Police once ‘put a gun to my head’

Frank Gore recalled an incident in which police held a gun to his head as a teenager in a Q&A with the New York Post.

Jets running back Frank Gore is no stranger to social and racial injustice in the United States.

Gore, 35, was born in Miami and raised in Coconut Grove, Fla., which is known as one of the toughest neighborhoods in Miami-Dade County. Throughout his childhood, Gore kept his head down, stayed out of trouble and focused on football, starring at Coral Gables High School before ascending to the University of Miami. That did not stop local police from racially profiling him, though.

In a Q&A session with the New York Post’s Steve Serby, Gore offered his thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement while recounting a run-in with police as a high school student that resulted in him being held at gunpoint.

“We just need to keep going with it,” Gore said of the Black Lives Matter movement. “Me growing up in a tough neighborhood, I’ve been through some stuff that … and I was a good kid, man. When I was a young kid, I used to have dreads and I used to have golds (teeth). I remember one time police jumped out on me, put a gun to my head and everything, just because where I was at, and how I looked.

With a gun aimed at his head, Gore thought about running away from the police. However, the rising high school  junior elected to stay put, comply and hope for the best.

“I just stayed there and had my hands up,” Gore said. “I was scared, man. In my neighborhood, no good areas where we come up from. I did what they told me to. They thought I was gonna run. When I went back to school and I told my coaches, my coaches made me cut my hair. I was scared. My first instinct was about to run.”

Gore is the latest Jets player to speak out against police brutality in America since the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derrick Chauvin and numerous other instances of police brutality across the country.

Jamal Adams, Le’Veon Bell, Quincy Enunwa and C.J. Mosley have all been vocal in their pursuit of racial equality in America. Given his own experiences with police, Gore brings a unique and much-needed perspective to the conversation.

Ben McLemore to wear customized social justice shoes at NBA restart

One of Ben McLemore’s sneakers has “Black Lives Matter” inscribed on it in large font, while the other says “Equality.”

On Saturday, Houston Rockets guard Ben McLemore said he hadn’t yet decided what social justice message — if any — that he would wear on the back of his jersey once the NBA restarts its season.

The 27-year-old does, however, already have custom sneakers lined up.

Houston graphic artist Terence Tang designed special shoes for McLemore to wear in Florida beginning this month, with “Black Lives Matter” inscribed on one sneaker and “Equality” on the other.

“I’ve wanted to do sneaker art for NBA players for a really long time,” Tang told Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. “To have it convey such a strong and meaningful message, that’s just icing on the cake.”

McLemore wore the sneakers at Saturday’s practice, which was the team’s first since March. He then showed video on his Twitter page.

McLemore and the Rockets (40-24) will resume their 2019-20 regular season later this month on Friday, July 31 versus Dallas, with scrimmages against other teams starting a week earlier.

McLemore has averaged 9.8 points in 22.8 minutes per game this season, and at 39.5% from 3-point range, he’s the team’s best long-range shooter among consistent rotation players. Considering the Rockets take more 3-pointers than any NBA team, that makes McLemore a critical piece as Houston gears up for the long awaited restart of its season.

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