‘I don’t understand how there can be any pushback to that statement.’
The NBA’s affirmation that Black lives matter has, of course, morphed into a political debate, when in fact it has zero to do with Republicans, Democrats, Whigs or the Tea Party.
On Thursday, I asked Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell if he could explain to disgruntled fans why the NBA has embraced the concept that Black lives matter, and the difference between the act of doing so and any organization that may go by the same name.
There is a difference between the concept of Black lives matter, and the organization, Black Lives Matter.
“As far I know [the NBA] is not affiliated with any organization, or whatever it may be. The phrase ‘Black lives matter’ simply means that we believe Black lives matter,” Powell said on a zoom call.
That’s it.
The NBA is not dumb enough to associate itself with any one political party. The NBA is simply embracing a concept that should not be hard endorse, yet it is because people are dumb.
“The concept of Black lives matter is more than a moment, and more than a movement,” Powell said. “It’s a phrase that needs to stand alone and be accepted and acted upon. For people that may not understand that, I hope they can hear what I believe, what our team believes. And I’m 99.9 percent sure the majority of the players in this league ... this fight we’re on is for equality.”
Powell was made available to talk to us media scum when he became the first Dallas Mavericks player to be named as a recipient of the NBA Cares 2019-20 End-of-Season Community Assist Award.
Powell has been out since tearing his Achilles back in January, but said he is on track to return whenever the next NBA season begins.
When the NBA went into the bubble in Orlando to finish its 2020 season, it made social awareness and attempts to combat racial injustices a priority. And, to make sure the sentiment would not be easily forgotten by the viewing public, the league and players’ union had the phrase “BLACK LIVES MATTER” painted across the top of center court.
“I don’t understand how there can be any pushback to that statement,” Powell said.
Because bigotry ain’t dead.
And people have associated the NBA’s on-court display of support for our brothers and sisters with the organization that began in 2013, which now, for some reason, is associated with Marxism, Communism and several other empty-rhetoric buzz words that have become political fodder during an election cycle.
Because most consumers don’t actually take the time to read what the organization’s goals are, they’ll believe pretty much anything they read or see that demonizes what is counter to their personal ideology.
In recent days, Sen. Ted Cruz has again taken to social media to condemn the NBA encouraging players to protest during the national anthem by taking a knee.
Cruz tweeted he has not watched NBA Finals games because of the protest movement. Hard to believe considering Cruz once called a hoop “a basketball ring.”
“Tying organizations to it and their history is another story, but I know for a fact that players in this locker room who have ‘BLACK LIVES MATTER’ on their shirts stand on that court proud. What they mean by that statement is equality is the most important thing in terms of our society,” said Powell, a Canadian who graduated from Stanford.
“It’s a blessing to be in this country, it really is. That gets tainted when opportunities are not provided to everyone on the same level. The focus we’ve had is on Black lives not being treated with the same level of value as other lives. That’s shown in some of the lives we’ve lost over the last several months, decades and generations.”
Somehow, this benign ambition is now construed as just another political statement, when in fact it has nothing to do with being a Republican or a Democrat, and everything to do with being an American.
This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
