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New NBA coalition expressing concern for players

As a growing faction of NBA players remain uncertain as to whether to engage in the league’s plan to restart the season in an Orlando bubble environment, a coalition of players including Brooklyn Nets ‘Kyrie Irving and Los Angeles Lakers’ Avery Bradley believes he has a responsibility to take a leading role in exploring answers and solutions for other players, the group believes he is rightly reluctant to speak alone, sources told ESPN.

The coalition of players pursuing further examination of the NBA’s plan to restart the season in Orlando delivered a statement to ESPN on Monday describing its thought processes and motivations.

Irving and Bradley, two of the many veterans who have taken on expanded roles in organizing player teleconferences in the past week, believe they will give voice to those players who fear punishment if they openly express their concerns, sources told ESPN.

Irving, Bradley and the coalition of players want to further investigate concerns with the league, sources said, including: the investment of resources and ideas from all of the league’s colleges – from the commissioner’s office, from the level of ownership, from the management and players’ association – – in social justice reform.

Among concerns regarding the league’s return to gambling after a three-month arrest in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, sources said the coalition is citing: an increase in positive coronavirus cases in Florida, conditions surrounding the restrictive environment in the bubble, insurance and liability for players based on possible illnesses and injuries in a final cut of the season.

In a statement to ESPN shared by the leaders of the coalition of players, the group described itself as a movement that works to unite the players of the NBA and those far beyond the limits of the league structure.

“We are a group of men and women from different teams and sectors who are normally portrayed as opponents, but we have put aside our egos and differences to make sure we are united and ask for honesty during this uncertain period,” said the coalition.

“Indigenous men and women of the African indigenous Caribbean who entertain the world, we will continue to use our voices and platforms for positive changes and truths.

“We are truly at a turning point in history where as a collective community we can unite – UNIFY – and move as one. We need all our people with us and we will be together in solidarity.

“As an oppressed community, we have been going on for over 500 years to be systematically targeted, used for our IP [intellectual property]/ Talent, and also still being killed by the same people who should “protect and serve us”.

“WE HAD ENOUGH!

“We are fighting the issues that matter most: we will not accept the racial injustices that continue to be ignored in our communities. We will not be kept in the dark when it comes to our health and well-being. And we will not ignore the financial motivations / expectations that historically they have prevented healthy decisions.

“It’s not about individual players, athletes or entertainers. It’s about our group of strong men and women who come together for change. We have our respective fields, however, we won’t just be quiet and play to distract ourselves from what the whole system has been on: Use and abuse.

“We are all fathers, daughters, leaders and much more. So what is our GREAT image? We are in this for UNITY and CHANGE!”

Player calls included members of the WNBA and the entertainment industry, and there was discussion within the group about representing more than just voices in sports and public opinion, but also those in oppressed black communities across the country.

Irving and Bradley were among the organizers of a Monday call that included 40 players and a Friday call that included more than 100, sources said. Monday’s call included the 1968 John Carlos US bronze medalist who shared his perspective on social justice, then and now, sources said.

Irving, elected vice president of the NBPA, was part of the union ratification vote on June 5 that approved the league’s plan for a restart of 22 teams in Orlando. He’s out for the season with shoulder surgery.

NBA and NBPA have been in contact with players to better understand how they can work together to tackle problems and try to find common ground to get as many players as possible to rejoin their teams this month, sources said.

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