The NBA approved a list of social-justice messages players can wear on their jerseys:
- Black Lives Matter
- Say Their Names
- Vote
- I Can’t Breathe
- Justice
- Peace
- Equality
- Freedom
- Enough
- Power to the People
- Justice Now
- Say Her Name
- Sí Se Puede (Yes We Can)
- Liberation
- See Us
- Hear Us
- Respect Us
- Love Us
- Listen
- Listen to Us
- Stand Up
- Ally
- Anti-Racist
- I Am A Man
- Speak Up
- How Many More
- Group Economics
- Education Reform
- Mentor
They gave us some names and phrases to put on the back of jerseys,” Scott said. “That was terrible. It was a bad list, bad choice. They didn’t give players a chance to voice their opinion on it. They just gave us a list to pick from. That was bad. That’s terrible. Just voice your opinion, how you feel.
“I don’t know how you can use your platform. I don’t know. Vote. Of course, vote. See what laws we can change. But I’m all about just doing, instead of just saying or posting or putting something on the back of your jersey. I don’t think that’s going to stop anything. I don’t know how you do it. I don’t know.
Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, via Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston:
“I would like to see -- because I think it can still happen -- more options available to put on the back of our jerseys,” Brown said Monday in a video conference with reporters. “We understand anything vulgar our league doesn’t necessarily represent, but for histories and causes such as now, I think that that list is an example of a form of limitation. I think we should be able to express our struggle just a little bit more.
” ... I was very disappointed in the list that was agreed to. I think things were tried and attempts were made to add to that list, but the NBA agreed that that list was satisfactory. Hopefully we can get some more names on that list.”
As far as Scott’s complaint about players not having a voice in the list, the plan was presented as developed in conjunction with the National Basketball Players Association. Perhaps, this is another example of union leadership not being on the same page as its members. But to be fair, it’s difficult to satisfy everyone. Scott and Brown don’t necessarily speak for players en masse.
Of course the NBA – a multi-billion-dollar company – was going to allow only sanitized phrases. The middle has shifted, but not enough for mainstream support for a sharp criticism like Brown’s “Inequality by Design.” (He’s right, though.) The NBA doesn’t want too much controversy.
However, simply by operating, the league gives players platforms and resources .
Nobody should have expected these jersey messages to be the primary means of change. They’re fine and can help draw attention.
But players can do more outside the league’s formal structure, including speaking up in interviews – like Scott and Brown did today.
