Los Angeles Lakers guard Avery Bradley has taken on a key role as the co-leader of the players’ coalition in voicing the concerns over restarting the 2019-20 NBA season while efforts are being made to combat racial injustice and usher in police reform.
There is a group of players that feel a return to basketball at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, would be shifting the focus away from the real issues at hand. As a result, Bradley is doing what he can to ensure that both the players and the NBA are taking serious steps toward significant changes.
Bradley has since outlined the action that he and the players would like to see from the NBA as well as organizing a Lakers’ social media campaign. Although the league has offered its support for players to use their platforms to speak out against social unease, they feel it is not the same as taking direct action.
According to ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Bradley was also behind Lakers players unifying to recently post a singular message on social media:
The burden of financial donations to black communities disproportionately falls onto players, Bradley said, and hoped that more owners would follow the charitable lead of Dallas’ Mark Cuban and Charlotte’s Michael Jordan in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death last month.
This had been part of Bradley’s thinking when he helped organize a Lakers-wide social media post two weeks ago: “If you ain’t wit us, we ain’t wit you.”
The message was intended “for all those who have more financial power than us, but aren’t taking a bigger stance when our community needs you,” Bradley said.
Bradley has been joined by teammate Dwight Howard when it comes to expressing concerns over whether or not enough is being done to improve the NBA both on and off the court. Players feel the onus falls on those with true power like the league’s owners and higher-ups in the front office to make it come to fruition.
The coalition is hoping that owners are willing to put their money where their mouths are to stand in solidarity with their players like Charlotte Hornets’ Michael Jordan and Dallas Mavericks’ Mark Cuban have.
While the NBA and most players are adamant about using the platform of the truncated season to continue raising awareness on the issues, owners must take true action if they hope to show that it will be a mutual effort.
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