Tag: Martin Luther King

Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley …

Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley expressed disappointment over the timing of his entrance into the health and safety protocols on Monday — his first Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an NBA head coach. The Magic are hosting the Portland Trail Blazers, and two of the NBA’s five Black head coaches who are in their first season — Mosley and Chauncey Billups — expected to be on the sidelines in Orlando on Monday night.

Some teams are also taking part in King …

Some teams are also taking part in King celebrations in other ways; 10 teams are planning youth events in their cities as part of the “Team Up For Change” initiative that focuses on “uniting, inspiring and activating around a shared commitment and call for racial equality and social justice.” The Washington Wizards held a roundtable discussion last week on how King still impacts the push for social change — and Wizards forward Daniel Gafford said it’s important for even pro athletes to find time to help their communities, according to the Associated Press.

‘More than basketball’: Stephen Silas, Rockets reflect on MLK Day

“I am in a unique position to be a young African-American coach, and I’m blessed to have an owner and a GM who believe in me,” Silas said.

As one of a small number of Black head coaches in the NBA, Stephen Silas is in a relatively rare position with the Houston Rockets. He also carries some unique perspective, since his father, Paul Silas, was an NBA player and a head coach in a different generation. Because of that connection, the younger Silas has been around the NBA his entire life.

Understandably, upon Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day) in the United States, Silas felt compelled to share some of his personal stories from that journey with the team.

“I try to use every opportunity to shine a light on things going on in the world,” Silas told reporters before Monday night’s game in Chicago. “Martin Luther King Day is a special day to me, and to the whole country. I just tried to point out the fact that he was so selfless.”

Silas said he told the team about his father, who wasn’t able to go into certain restaurants and hotels — even as an NBA player.

“I told them about my dad who came into the NBA in 1964. There were restaurants and hotels my father wasn’t able to go into at all, or not allowed to go into the front door. It’s really not that far away. So there’s a lot that has been improved, but we still have a long way to go.”

Silas said he recognizes his unique role as a Black head coach, particularly in a league where Black players comprise the majority of NBA rosters but are not similarly represented in leadership positions.

“I am in a unique position to be a young African-American coach, and I’m blessed to have an owner [Tilman Fertitta] and a GM [Rafael Stone] who believe in me to be in this position,” Silas said on Monday. “I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity I have to teach, to listen, and really make it about more than basketball.”

See below for complete video of Silas’ remarks, along with social media tributes posted by other members of the team.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW9muVCcCUc

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKNGA1elHPh/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKNHom-FZDa/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKL-v0Yld_p/

Marc Stein: Figueroa Street in downtown …

Some of Isiah Thomas’ earliest memories …

Some of Isiah Thomas’ earliest memories are of he and his family protesting systemic racism. Thomas’ mother, Mary Thomas, was an activist on Chicago’s West Side, working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Jesse Jackson and Black Panther chairman Fred Hampton. So the entire Thomas family was active in protests and demonstrations against inequality in Chicago. “Activism was the family business. We did not have babysitters. So every protest, march, rally, riot, mom was like, ‘Alright ya’ll, let’s go,’” Thomas says. “So we went everywhere (to join protests) together as a family.”

In addition, the Atlanta Hawks, Miami …

In addition, the Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz are all recognizing Juneteenth in some fashion. The Wizards and Washington Mystics are expected to walk from the Capital One Arena in Washington to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on Friday morning. The Knicks joined forces with the New York Rangers to host an MLK youth panel on Thursday with former Knicks star Allan Houston and general manager Scott Perry.

As part of collective efforts to learn …

As part of collective efforts to learn more about the history of race in America, Jazz employees and the NBA family will have access on Friday to watch “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” the new Magnolia Pictures, Participant, and Color Farm Media film about the life and legacy of John Lewis. The movie chronicles Lewis’ 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health-care reform and immigration. Using present-day interviews with Lewis, now 80, the film explores his childhood experiences, his inspiring family and his fateful meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957.