$2.5 million in fines and banned for life from the
NBA!! That was the decision levied by new NBA commissioner Adam Silver, against
the L.A.Clippers owner Donald Sterling due to comments made by him during a
taped conversation with his girlfriend where he requested that she not
broadcast her association with “blacks” publically on her Instagram or brought
“them” to his games. Even going so far as to identify Magic Johnson personally!
Now of course these comments created a
firestorm of controversy & headlines while the Clippers were in the midst
of a playoff run. Players and coach Doc
Rivers were bombarded with questions about what they thought about the comments
or what their response would be. Current and ex-NBA players all chimed in on
Donald Sterling and in some cases what had been a long history of racial
discrimination. Bomani Jones, a sports reporter, had one the most entertaining
but informative takes on the Donald Sterling controversy. It was
not lost on anyone that if the NBA did not respond in a favorable manner that
the 2014 NBA Playoffs could possibly witness its first boycott. Commissioner Silver’s verdict on the
situation had to be swift and substantial.
But while we waited…..the question was: What will NBA players do to
protest?!
In the first days when the news broke, there were
rumblings in the Clipper locker room about how to respond to the comments.
There was talk of wearing black socks & arm bands, turning warm-ups inside
out before the game, or even potentially not playing the game at all. Everyone had their opinion of what the
Clippers should do. From Joe Public on the street to ex- NBA players and
current players…..many of whom voiced that they should sit out the remainder of
the playoffs.
The team would eventually settle on not only wearing the black
socks & armbands, but also a very public display of piling their warm up
jerseys on the floor before the start of the game. A few other NBA teams in a show of support
followed suit prior to tip off of their games for the night, as well. I personally feel that they made the right
decision, and while I admit it would’ve been hard for me to play that night, as
a unit I would want to be there for my teammates. While Sterling’s comments
were ignorant and obscene, looking at it from the players and fans perspective,
the Clipper team is bigger than Sterling.
They aren’t going out there for the love of Sterling, but rather for
themselves but also the fans that support them. There is a certain bond between
the fans and players that goes well beyond any owner.
The Clippers had their first home game after
the controversy, and all the signs in the stands expressed things like “We Are
One” or “Hate will not win”, that coupled with the players’ own demonstration
showed that Sterling had been cast out in everyone eyes, and he would find no
support from the fans or even the team that he owns. Yeah, he still owns the team for now (the NBA
will be looking to filing an injunction to have Sterling sell his ownership of
the team), but there is a lot to be said when you aren’t even welcome in
your
own “home” anymore.
Since the verdict has come down, people still are
having their opinions about what the players should’ve done. You have a million cyber-militants spouting
empty rhetoric about all NBA players should boycott the rest of the season and
others saying that we need to have our own league etc. What these people fail
to understand is that not only will the revolution not be televised, but it
won’t come with an instruction manual either. Unfortunately some black people
are looking for emotional responses as opposed to sensible. Players being
labeled as slaves scared to speak out because it may impact their wallets, but
yet there were many active players, including Kobe Bryant & LeBron James
that spoke out and continue to speak out.
Those of us that patiently await a decision, are accused of being apathetic
to the cause and only worried about the games being played. Now, had Commissioner Silver handed out a
less than favorable verdict, I could see some of the logic, but he handed out a
pretty hefty, and necessary punishment, so it would be pretty damn pointless
for the NBA players to sit out the rest of the season. Protest and revolution
comes in all manners and forms. There is never one single response that fits
all occasions or even all people. There were people that thought Martin Luther
King didn’t do enough or even Malcolm X. Tommie Smith and John Carlos in the
1968 Olympics felt pressure to not participate in the games. They were
criticized for choosing otherwise, but they used their dream fulfillment as a
platform to bring awareness to African American rights, as well as human
rights. Today, the picture of them standing on the podium with black gloved
fist raised high is one of the most referenced moments in civil/human rights
history. It wasn’t a loud, frantic reaction but rather it was a silent show of
solidarity that continues to reverberate years beyond that day. I wonder if these same people would tell
those men that they didn’t do enough. Maybe Martin should’ve taken a swing at
the cops & Malcolm firebomb congress?!
This indeed was a chance for NBA players to take a
stand, as well as the NBA. No it wasn’t a watershed moment that ousted other
closet racists or overthrew the old boy system, but it does send of message of
zero tolerance when it comes to hate.
Yes, gone are the days of yesteryear where athletes were at the forefront of social change, and much more vocal. But that was at time when the injustice was much more overt. Maybe today's athlete isn't as sheepish as some would have you believe, but rather their methods have grown to match the sophistication challenges we now face. While the stand that the players took, may not be in the manner that
some feel was adequate, I challenge those same people to take a stand in their own
workplace when they see injustice. Whether it be racism, sexism or ageism. What
stand will you take? Will you quit your
job or will you make a stand? How will you make your voice heard? But don’t be
upset when someone tells you that you’re not doing enough.
What do you think the Clippers/NBA players should've done. Do you think they did enough? Leave your thoughts and comments below.
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