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With the NBA season ready to kick off in just a few weeks, not all the players are taking a stand with the league’s new policy regarding jerseys.
LeBron James is now accompanied by teammate Anthony Davis in announcing they do not plan on using the space where the name on their jersey would usually occupy, with a message about social justice when the league restarts this month at Walt Disney World.
The league made this an option following the civil unrest over police brutality and systemic racism ignited by the death of George Floyd that grabbed national headlines at the start of June.
Davis explained it as a difficult decision to make.
“The name ‘Davis’ is something that I try to represent every time I step on the floor,” Davis told USA Today. “I was kind of torn between the two. I didn’t know what to decide. Should I have a social justice message or should I have my last name there?”
Rudy Gobert, Damian Lillard, Enes Kanter are just a couple of the players who have revealed their choices to replace the name on the back of their jerseys. Kyle Korver, who wrote a touching piece on The Players’ Tribune about white privilege, has announced he will wear ‘Black Lives Matter‘ on the back of his jersey.
“I just think that in this moment in time, this is the message. Anything I would ever hope to convey on the back of a jersey is represented in these three words,” Korver told The Undefeated in a text message Sunday.
According to ESPN, 285 of the 350 players participating in the restart have already chosen a social justice message for their jersey.
King James, who has been loosely criticized for opting not to have a social justice message, offered comment on why he chose not to.
“I didn’t go with a name on the back of my jersey,” James said on Saturday. “It was no disrespect to the list that was handed down to all the players. I commend anyone that decides something on the back of our jersey. Just something that didn’t seriously resonate with my mission, with my goal.”
The NBA season is set to resume on July 31 as players continue to make their way to Florida to enter the bubble.
Anthony Davis Joins LeBron James In Decision To Not Wear Social Justice Message On Jersey was originally published on cassiuslife.com
