It’s impossible to think about basketball right now, considering the horrific police-related tragedies that continue to make the news despite earnest attempts by most NBA players to showcase the Black Lives Matter movement, and its importance, on the court.
Those who initially chose to enter the league’s Bubble were doing so under the impression that they could use their platform to create tangible societal change; unfortunately, the near-fatal shooting of Jacob Blake a few days ago served as a stark and emotional reminder that police brutality continues in the world. Now, players have been forced again to ponder whether the on-court social justice messages are simply performative, rather than actionable.