Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet thinks NBA games shouldn’t resume.
Games will start again at the end of July at Disney in Orlando after shutting down because of coronavirus. However, there’s been a lot of chatter about whether or not playing pro sports is a good idea in our current climate, and Kyrie Irving even called the NBA’s return “fishy.” (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Kyrie Irving told NBA players on call Friday, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium: “I don’t support going into Orlando. I’m not with the systematic racism and the bullshit. Something smells a little fishy.”
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 13, 2020
“Obviously, we all know the right thing to do is not play, to take a stand. Morally, yes, that makes sense, but life goes on. We’re all black guys, and none of us want to give any money back, and I don’t think we should,” VanVleet told TMZ.
He added that the social justice issues NBA players care about, such as police brutality, are “not ending anytime soon.”
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I don’t really understand this argument from NBA players at all. In fact, it makes zero sense to me. How does sitting out the season help their cause?
You would think that playing and using your platform would help promote whatever message you want pushed. To me, it’s really obvious.
I must be missing something because several NBA players feel differently.
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The NBA is also trying to be as accommodating as possible. Players will literally be allowed to wear social justice messages on their jerseys.
Those uniforms will be seen by millions of eyeballs. It seems like the best case scenario.
The NBA and NBPA are planning to allow players to replace the last name on their jerseys with statement on social justice, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 28, 2020
If NBA players are serious about pushing a message, then they need to be front and center. The only way to actually do that is by playing games.