Joel Embiid (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
NBA, NBPA to allow players to replace last name on jerseys with statement on social justice
The NBA and the NBPA are taking a huge step forward in the fight for social injustices by allowing players to opt-out of having their last names on their jerseys and allowing them to replace it with statements on social justice.
This is a big step towards accepting social change, especially in light of what’s happening in the world at the moment. At a time when kneeling in the NFL is considered controversial it’s refreshing to see other sports allowing their athletes to express themselves for god causes.
This isn’t the first NBA uniform policy change
This move is much like when the NBA allowed sneakers to be altered. Many players used that freedom to mark tributes or other issues close to their heart.
It will be exciting to see who is the first athlete to take advantage of the change and which social issues they will support. It’s highly likely we’ll see a large support of Black Lives Matter issues in light of the death of George Floyd.
The season will resume on July 30, having been on hiatus since March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The NBA was one of the first sports to shut down and the first to have athletes test positive for the virus which has killed hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.