Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts

Thursday, May 13, 2021

NBA creates annual Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Award

The NBA has announced the creation of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award, a new annual honor that will recognize a current NBA player for pursuing social justice and upholding the league’s decades-long values of equality, respect and inclusion.

The award is named after six-time NBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The recipient will have advanced Abdul-Jabbar’s mission to drive change and inspired others to reflect on injustice and take collective action in their communities over the previous year.

The winner of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion honor will select an organization to receive a $100,000 contribution on his behalf. The other four finalists will each select an organization to receive a $25,000 contribution.

“I’m honored and grateful to be associated with this award that will recognize the dedicated and selfless people fighting to promote social justice for all marginalized people,” said Abdul-Jabbar. “To me, it’s another giant step in the right direction for the country and all people who value equality.”

“In addition to being one of our greatest players, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has devoted much of his life to advocating for equality and social justice,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “With this new award, we are proud to recognize and celebrate NBA players who are using their influence to make an impact on their communities and our broader society.”

All 30 NBA teams will nominate one player from their roster to be the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion. The finalists and winner will be selected by a committee composed of NBA legends, league executives and social justice leaders.

Abdul-Jabbar has been a champion of inclusivity dating to his youth. At 17, he met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Abdul-Jabbar’s hometown of Harlem, N.Y. Inspired by King’s message, Abdul-Jabbar committed to using his influence as a visible athlete to engage on critically important social issues during the Civil Rights Movement. He attended the 1967 Cleveland Summit where Bill Russell, Jim Brown and other prominent Black athletes gathered to discuss Muhammad Ali’s refusal to serve in the Vietnam War. Abdul-Jabbar has continued to promote equality and combat discrimination in the decades since his retirement from basketball. In 2016, former President Barack Obama awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. In 2009, Abdul-Jabbar created the Skyhook Foundation, aimed at providing educational STEM opportunities to underserved communities.

One of the most accomplished players in NBA history, Abdul-Jabbar holds league records for regular-season MVP awards (six), All-Star Game selections (19) and career points (38,387) captured during his 20 NBA seasons playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. Abdul-Jabbar joined the NBA in the 1969-70 season after leading UCLA to three consecutive national championships.

Additional details regarding the inaugural award, including the finalists and winner, will be announced during the postseason.

Monday, April 12, 2021

NBA postpones Nets-Timberwolves game due to the shooting of Daunte Wright

The NBA released the following statement on the postponement of the Nets-Timberwolves game due to the shooting of Daunte Wright:

The National Basketball Association announced today that in light of the tragic events in the Minneapolis area yesterday, tonight’s game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center has been postponed. The decision to postpone was made by the NBA after consultation with the Timberwolves organization and local and state officials.

Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Daunte Wright during this difficult time.

The Timberwolves and the minnesota Lynx also released a statement on the shooting of Daunte Wright:

Sunday, February 28, 2021

NBA star, Russell Westbrook to open new middle and high school in Los Angeles area

NBA star, Russell Westbrook of the Washington Wizards has announced that he is launching a new middle school and high school called the Russell Westbrook Why Not Academy in the Los Angeles area.

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Michael Jordan donating $2M to Feeding America, food banks

NBA legend Michael Jordan donated $2 million in proceeds from the ESPN documentary "The Last Dance" to the nationwide hunger-relief charity, Feeding America.

Monday, October 12, 2020

Barack Obama congratulates the Lakers and Seattle Storm on their championships and social justice work

On Sunday Brack Obama took to Twitter to congratulate the Los Angeles Lakers and the Seattle Storm on their championships and praised the NBA and WNBA for their work fighting for racial justice during the season.

The former United States President tweeted:

Congrats to the @Lakers and @Seattlestorm on their championship wins! Proud of all the NBA and WNBA teams and players who've been using their platforms to take a stand for racial justice and encourage civic participation this season.

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Barack Obama statement on NBA & WNBA players boycotting games

Barack Obama released the following statement via Twitter after the Milwaukee Bucks and other NBA and WNBA teams decided not to play games yesterday to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake:

I commend the players on the @Bucks for standing up for what they believe in, coaches like @DocRivers, and the @NBA and @WNBA for setting an example. It’s going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values.

STATEMENT FROM NBPA ON PLAYER PROTEST AND POSTPONEMENT OF GAMES


The NBA Players Association’s executive director Michelle Roberts releases the following statement after NBA players boycotted playoff games on August 26th:
ORLANDO, FL, August 26, 2020 – "Throughout the season restart, our players have been unwavering in their demands for systemic justice. This week we witnessed another horrific, shocking and all too familiar act of brutality in the shooting of 29 year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Players have, once again, made it clear - they will not be silent on this issue. We stand with the decision of the players of the Milwaukee Bucks to protest this injustice and support the collective decision to postpone all of today's games."

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

LeBron James speaks on Jacob Blake shooting

LeBron James sternly conveys his feelings about the fear that is lingering in the Black community and tells the media why he has nothing nice to say about the police who shot Jacob Blake.

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Lakers wear hats to keep attention on Breonna Taylor case

The Los Angeles Lakers arrived to Game 1 of their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night in red baseball caps, only with a twist.

Each cap had "Make America Great Again" stitched in white letters, just like the one President Donald Trump often wears; but the words "Great Again" were crossed out, and the message "Arrest The Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor" was printed below them.

"You know, this is something that we continue to put our foot on the gas, continue to pressure," LeBron James said after the Lakers' 100-93 loss. "You know, the situation that's going on in Louisville, Kentucky. An innocent woman being killed in Breonna Taylor, a woman who had a bright future and her future was taken away from her. And there's been no arrests. There's been no justice. Not only for her, but for her family. And we want to continue to shed light on that situation, because it's just unjust, and that's what it's about."

It was a continuation of the calls for awareness about the circumstances surrounding Taylor's death made by the Lakers and many other players since the NBA invited 22 teams to Orlando, Florida, to restart its season last month.

[SOURCE: ESPN]

Friday, July 24, 2020

Lebron James: Back Lives Matter is not a movement...it's a lifestyle

During his media press conference after the LA Lakers first scrimmage in the NBA bubble, Lebron James commented on the Black Lives Matter movement and what it means to him. He said that "When you're Black, it's not a movement. It's a lifestyle..."

Watch his comments below:

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler wants no name on back of his jersey

Miami Heat All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler is hoping to keep the nameplate on the back of his jersey blank to underscore that if he weren't an NBA player, he would be "no different than anybody else of color."

Many players have decided to wear one of a list of NBA-approved social justice messages during play later this month at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. Butler said he hopes the NBA will allow him to wear no message at all.

Watch Butler explain his decision below:

Monday, June 29, 2020

NBA plans to paint 'Black Lives Matter' on courts in Orlando

The NBA and National Basketball Players Association are planning to paint "Black Lives Matter" on the court inside both sidelines in all three arenas the league will use at the Walt Disney World Resort when it resumes the 2019-20 season late next month in Orlando, Florida, league sources told ESPN.

Players have insisted that the fight for racial equality and social justice be a central part of the NBA's return.

On a conference call with reporters Friday, leaders of both the NBA and the NBPA said the league and union were discussing several ways to use the NBA's platform in Orlando to call attention to racial equality, social justice and police brutality. Over the weekend, Chris Paul, president of the players' union, told ESPN that the league and union were collaborating to allow players to wear uniforms with personalized messages linked to social justice on the backs of their jerseys in place of players' last names.

[SOURCE: CNN]

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Vince Carter retires from the NBA

After 22 seasons in the NBA, Vince Carter is hanging up his sneakerss and calling it a career.

The 43-year-old on Thursday announced that he is "officially done playing basketball professionally" on his podcast "Winging It With Vince Carter."

"If there was any disappointment because of the season -- any of that -- it was kind of easier to put it aside and handle it that way," Carter said on his podcast. "It's like, OK, it's something bigger than my career. "So, I was able to put the weird ending, the abrupt stoppage of play, to an ending aside for the bigger picture."

Carter began his career in 1998 with the Toronto Raptors, where he won Rookie of the Year in his first season. He would go on to make eight All-Star teams.

The high-flying guard was known for his acrobatic dunks, and he is widely considered one of the all-time great dunkers. He won the dunk contest in 2000 in one of the greatest showcases in league history. Across his 22-season career, he played for the Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and the Atlanta Hawks.

[SOURCE: CNN]

Thursday, June 11, 2020

LeBron James starts voting rights group

LeBron James is creating a voting rights group aimed in part at motivating African Americans to cast ballots in November, the NBA star told The New York Times on Wednesday.

James told the Times that the idea to form the group, More Than a Vote, was fueled by the worldwide protests over racial inequality and police brutality sparked by the death of George Floyd in police custody.

“Because of everything that’s going on, people are finally starting to listen to us — we feel like we’re finally getting a foot in the door,” James told the Times. “How long is up to us. We don’t know. But we feel like we’re getting some ears and some attention, and this is the time for us to finally make a difference.”

In addition to looking to turn out voters, James said he wants to use his platform on social media to help combat voter suppression.

“Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial,” James told the Times. “We’re going to give you the background of how to vote and what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.”

More Than a Vote will team up with voting rights organizations, including When We All Vote and Stacey Abrams’s Fair Fight, according to the Times.

James and business partner Maverick Carter are putting up the initial funding for the organization, according to the Times.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Russell Westbrook donates meals to hospital

Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook is trying to help those who need it most. On Friday, Westbrook, 31, donated meals to workers at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in California.

Westbrook visited the hospital — while wearing a mask and gloves — to hand out meals and take a picture with hospital workers.

Westbrook donated the meals as part of his Why Not? Foundation.

Thursday, May 07, 2020

LeBron James responds to Ahmaud Arbery killing

Lakers superstar, Lebron James who has not been shy about discussing social issues that affect the Black community took to Twitter on Wednesday to respond to the killing of an Ahmaud Arbery by two white men in Georgia.

Friday, April 17, 2020

Russell Westbrook helps to donate 4.2M masks, PPE to medical workers in African American communities

NBA star Russell Westbrook is joining an effort that will donate millions of masks and other personal protective equipment to medical workers serving the African American community.

African American communities have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus has infected and killed African Americans at disproportionately high rates.

The Houston Rockets point guard is joining Tulco founded by Thomas Tull to help launch Operation 42 in celebration of Jackie Robinson.

Operation 42 will donate 4.2 million masks and other personal protective equipment to medical workers in African American communities hit hardest by COVID-19.

Saturday, April 04, 2020

Kobe Bryant posthumously elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Kobe Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and the fourth all-time leading scorer in league history, has been posthumously elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

The 18-time NBA All-Star played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning the league MVP once and the finals MVP twice. He also captured two Olympic gold medals.

"It's (an) incredible accomplishment and honor," Bryant's widow, Vanessa, told ESPN. "We're extremely proud of him. Obviously, we wish he was here with us to celebrate. "But it's definitely the peak of his NBA career and every accomplishment he had as an athlete was a stepping stone to being here."

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement, "No amount of words can fully describe what Kobe Bryant meant to the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe was not only a proven winner and a champion, he gave everything he had to the game of basketball. His fierce competitiveness, work ethic and drive were unmatched.

"Those qualities helped Kobe lead us to five titles -- and have now brought him to the Hall of Fame, where he will be enshrined with the greatest to have ever played the game. No one deserves it more."

Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Tamika Catchings are among other notable ball players going into the Hall of Fame.

[SOURCE: CNN]

Friday, March 13, 2020

Zion Williamson to cover arena workers salary for 30 days

Zion Williamson will cover the salary of arena employees who will be unable to work while the NBA season is indefinitely suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic in the United States.

Williamson posted the following message on Instagram.

The people of New Orleans have been incredibly welcoming and supportive since I was Drafted by the Pels last June, and some of the most special people I have met are those who work at Smoothie King Center. These are the folks who make our games possible, creating the perfect environment for our fans and everyone involved in the organization. Unfortunately, many of them are still recovering from long term challenges created by Katrina, and now face the economic impact of the postponement of games because of the virus. My mother has always set an example for me about being respectful for others and being grateful for what we have, and so today I am pledging to cover the salaries for all of those Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days. This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation for these wonderful people who have been so great to me and my teammates and hopefully we can all join together to relieve some of the stress and hardship caused by this national health crisis. This is an incredibly resilient city full of some of the most resilient people, but sometimes providing a little extra assistance can make things a little easier for the community.

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Barack Obama remembers Kobe Bryant in speech to NBA All-Stars

Former President Barack Obama spoke at the NBA's All-Star Weekend Newsmaker Brunch in Chicago Saturday. During his speech he took the time to reflect on the death of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant.