Adam Silver, NBA trying to ‘work through’ players’ social justice concerns

The NBA is trying to strike a balance.

As the league looks to resume its season, Commissioner Adam Silver on Monday addressed concerns voiced by some players that getting back on the court would distract from the social justice movement happening nationwide.

Appearing on ESPN, Silver said the NBA could play basketball and, at the same time, draw attention to the calls for an end to police brutality and racial inequality across the country.

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving and Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard have weighed in recently against the NBA’s restart plan, which calls for 22 teams to finish out the season in Orlando starting July 30.

Irving reportedly said he was “willing to give up everything” for social reform on a conference call with nearly 100 players last week, while Howard issued a statement calling the league’s resumption a “distraction.”

NBA players and athletes in major sports leagues around the globe have lent their support to the sweeping protest movement sparked by the death last month of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man killed while being arrested.

Silver said he was confident that the two sides “would work” through the issues, adding the league had an “obligation” to try and relaunch the season.

“For the country, it will be a respite,” Silver said. “And for social justice issues, it will be an opportunity for NBA players to draw attention to these issues because the world’s attention will be on the NBA and Orlando if we can pull this off. It’s a unique opportunity to respond to George Floyd’s death.”

Meanwhile, Irving’s and Howard’s objections aren’t going anywhere without LeBron James, the league’s biggest star and most influential player. And sources, according to a recent report in the Athletic, say James is in favor of finishing out the season.

James and the Lakers held the best record in the Western Conference when play stopped in mid-March due to the coronavirus, and he’s long balanced playing with social activism.

Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers posted a lengthy message on Instagram, issuing a rebuttal to Iriving. “We can play & we can help change the way black lives are lived,” Rivers wrote, saying that the money earned from games could be invested into black communities. Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley cautioned it would be a “catastrophic mistake” to not play over social reform.

James hasn’t spoken publicly on a return to play, but one NBA player said others will follow where the Lakers star leads.

“Hoopers say what y’all want,” Clippers guard Patrick Beverley tweeted. “If @KingJames said he hooping. We all hooping. Not Personal only BUSINESS.”

Distracting from social justice causes isn’t the only concern for players. Some have worried about the league’s health and safety protocols during the pandemic, including Wizards star John Wall. Wall said on a podcast recently he “wouldn’t want to go” to Orlando, even if he was healthy. “I just don’t feel like it’s safe,” he told former Wizard Caron Butler.

Silver said any player uncomfortable with the NBA’s arrangement could sit out voluntarily, telling ESPN that athletes who do so would not be considered in breach of their contracts. Silver acknowledged the conditions for the restart are less than ideal and “may not be for everyone.”

But Silver said he plans to listen to players and come up with ways to affect social change. In the past, star players like James and Irving took a stand against police brutality by wearing “I can’t breathe” shirts before games in 2014.

Dr. Shaun Anderson, an associate professor of organizational communication at Loyola Marymount, specializes in studying sports organizations and how they can respond to social activism. Anderson said the NBA has an opportunity to “establish a platform of open discussion, no matter how ugly the conversation gets.”

Anderson said even if games provide a distraction initially, the NBA and its players can still figure out ways to fight racial injustice in the long term. He pointed to James’ recently launched “More Than a Vote” initiative, which encourages people to vote, as an example of players taking an active role.

“In the era of corporate social responsibility, how does an organization continue to be profitable also answer society’s call?” Anderson said. “In this case, we’re now talking about the NBA needing to really establish themselves at this particular issue, mainly not shutting down the voices of their players as they talk about these issues.”