Racism will not be defeated overnight, and long after the bubble passes consistent action will be necessary. What role should and will the league and its players have going forward? “Some people march. Some people go to the capitol building and they’re focused on legislation. Some people are focused on abolishing things. Some people are focused on bringing awareness,” Pierce said. “LeBron is choosing to play and bring an enormous amount of awareness and action to what he’s doing while he’s playing, so I think we have Colin Kaepernick and Maya Moore in the form of LeBron James.”
Before the wave of anti-racist enthusiasm crashed onto America’s shores in late May, Pierce already understood the importance of education and advocacy. The first organization he partnered with after the Hawks hired him in 2018 was the Georgia Innocence Project, where he and his wife have made donations and helped publicize their mission.
He also struck up a relationship with Bryan Stevenson, the civil rights lawyer who wrote Just Mercy and founded the Equal Justice Initiative. “I purposely have not brought him to our team yet because I think his impact is greater than a Zoom meeting,” Pierce said. “I want to get him in person in a greater platform with our guys than an hour session.”
Similar conversations are happening throughout the league. In June, the San Antonio Spurs invited Dr. Joseph to address the organization. Joseph took questions, and explained why the country’s numerous injustices remained so prevalent, using historical context from slavery up until today.
“This moment has just been one of massive education for many, many groups, including Black people,” Dr. Joseph said. “I mean, I’m fortunate to be in a space where this is what I do for a living, but not everyone can dedicate their entire lives to this. Just like they are working on their jump shots, we’re working in this space.”
Players aren’t social activists, and even beyond their willingness and ability to invest in smaller social justice organizations that can use the funding—“Don’t do Southern Poverty Law Center, do something that’s Black led,” Dr. Joseph said—another way they can impact change is by leveraging their vast social and professional networks.
“They can do a lot in the anti-racist space because a lot of times Black athletes are among the only Black people that everybody—from Fortune 500 companies, to venture capitalists, to high Wall Street financial capital, private equity—would even be willing to be in a meeting with, who’s Black,” Dr. Joseph said. “So they can be connected to “defund the police” and explain that to people, because that’s the new abolition. Abolishing prisons. The players, they’re all mini entrepreneurs, all of them. Even a person who’s getting the minimum league salary is making an enviable amount and is going to have agents, lawyers, publicists, just different people who want to be connected with that player. So if that player can introduce that network to Breonna Taylor or anti-racism criminal justice reform, that would be big.”
But even in the short-term while players are inside the bubble, there are still opportunities to organize and promote ideals that increase the probability of societal sea change.
“I would love to see a second summit, like the one Jim Brown developed with some of the NFL players, that also included Kareem and Bill Russell,” Elmore said. “Set up a list of priorities and have guys effectively accomplish them through the powers that they have. And it’s not necessarily their money that we need. We need their visibility, we need their commitment. And the people that want to say shut up and dribble, that’s great. It’s even better for the cause, to show the stupidity and the bankrupt thought that comes from people who say that.”