I used to be a huge Mavs fan. I would never miss a game to the point that I was on a class field trip and found a bar to watch the game. Sports had become my life, especially basketball, since my sophomore year of high school. I would come in from track practice, sit in front of the TV, and watch the Bulls play. Dennis Rodman was a beast, and I loved his individuality.
Somewhere down the road, my love for sports became, if I see a game, cool, if I don’t cool too. I no longer kept up, but then a buzz started four years ago. It seems a guy named Colin Kaepernick decided to take a knee during the National Anthem of a preseason game. He chose not to stand because of police brutality against Black people. With that knee, everyone had an opinion. Some decided to follow suit, where others decided to criticize and state that it was disrespectful. When people don’t understand the gist of what you are doing, they create their own narrative, and that just what they did. Giants in the sporting world came to his defensive, like Lebron James. James was later told to shut up and dribble. So many basketball players started showing support for the movement.
Fast forward, and now we are in a pandemic, George Floyd is murdered with a knee to his neck, the decision to play basketball is thrown out. Many felt that the focus would be taken off the fight for justice if the basketball players played. My opinion has always been, people can multitask. I felt that if the people who were calling for the players not to play were losing money, they would understand. Since I have come to the thought, your fight has to be bigger than your comfort. You have to be willing to lose something for change to happen.
Wednesday, August 26th, the Bucs took a stand and stated they would not be playing. They decided to boycott their game in protest. After I realized the Milwaukee Bucs was in Wisconsin, the state of the most recent police shooting of a black man, it had a greater meaning. To hear that so many other teams followed in that example made my heart smile. Their fight was more important than their comfort level. The Lakers and the Clippers voted to cancel the rest of the season to not be a distraction. Kenny Smith walked off-air, in protest, and to stand with the players. Chris Webber told young people to keep fighting. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen. He gave a passionate monologue on air. They are looking past their comfort of a paycheck or likability to stand for someone who’s voice can not be heard. It sickens me when people still don’t have a clue about why we are protesting.
I was watching All or Nothing on the Dallas Cowboys, and it covered the time when a lot of the controversy was happening with the NFL. The Cowboys team kneeled together, united before the National Anthem. During a coached meeting, Garrett explained why this was done. One of the coaches asked why the distraction. He stated that during those 3 hours, they should put the controversy to the side. That is easy to say when you and people like you are not being used for target practice.
Since Wednesday, many players and teams, not just basketball, have boycotted in protest. One thing I have learned through my years, when it starts affecting economics, things change. We have marched, rioted protested, boycotted, and nothing has happened. Will things change with this collective protest? I am not sure, but I am happy to watch this play out and find out. We must keep finding ways to get those in power, attention. If boycotting games is the only way players feel hurt, then so be it.
