Original Post #3: The NBA, covid-19 and activism
If you're socially aware and concerned about the world right now, you'd be hard pressed not to like the NBA this season.
On Sunday night, the NBA completed its delayed season as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in six games to win the Championship. During its three month abbreviated season in the Orlando Disney bubble, the NBA served as a model in preventing Covid-19 infections, made great strides in support of Black Lives Matter, and also advocated for the importance of voting and voting rights.
Coronavirus handling: The NBA was the first professional sports league to suspend its season back in March due to the pandemic. With the hope of playing games while keeping the virus at bay, the NBA announced that they would be starting their season up again in July with serious rules and restrictions, forcing all players and workers to work in a contained environment, or as it became known, the ‘bubble’. The NBA ended up Covid free since they restarted their season in July proving how, with careful adherence, a healthy playing environment is possible.
Lebron James highlighted this fact proudly after the season ended, lauding how the NBA did everything right. People were sharing their thoughts on twitter and facebook regarding the NBA’s stellar job in handling the unique ever-evolving situation, with many comparing it to the way in which the rest of the US has handled the pandemic, especially in the hands of the Trump administration.
The NBA is also being applauded for their political activism. The NBA and its players have established a social-justice coalition that strives for meaningful police and criminal justice reform. It’s not just the players who are advocating for this change, but the coaches and owners as well. It’s inspiring to see an organization use its platform to initiate change and social justice. Other organizations just post a picture on social media and think that’s enough for their activism, which in reality does nothing to help the cause.
BLM is very important to many NBA players, and this season will be remembered most for how the league and its players used their voices to fight for social justice. Initially, many players didn’t want to participate in the “bubble” season, as they did not want to take focus away from the BLM movement, but they agreed to play as long as they could use their platforms to advocate for change and equality. All teams wore jersey’s that were covered in social justice messages that reminded fans of their personal motto as well as their league wide support of BLM by painting Black Lives Matter on the court. During media interviews and on their personal social media pages, players and coaches have been exposing police brutality and racism in the hope of influencing others to inact change.
In addition to the BLM movement, the NBA has taken initiative on voting, spearheaded by Lebron James and Michelle Obama. They are hoping to create excitement about voting in the upcoming election. This “More Than A Vote” campaign provides people with information about music, transportation and personal protective equipment at early voting sites throughout the country. Furthermore, many NBA arenas will be turned into voting locations for the 2020 election to allow for safe in-person voting for communities that are especially vulnerable to Covid-19.
Hi Deirdre,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! The NBA has truly been a leader in promoting social activism and following the proper covid-19 protocols. The NFL has had issues in these fields, with the mishandling of the Colin Kaepernick situation along with its initial inability to enact strict covid-19 protocols during the current season. However, the league has been following the NBA with its current #NFLVotes campaign that is encouraging its fans to go out and vote in the upcoming election.