NBA kneels against racism in season restart

Many players listened to the performance with their heads down and others linked their arms in a symbol of unity

After four and a half months of suspension by the coronavirus, the NBA has restarted its season with a powerful message against racism by its players and coaches, which they knelt during the American anthem in the initial two games.

In an unusual gesture in the NBA, and prohibited in its regulationsstars like LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Kahwi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers), together with all their teammates, formed a single line and knelt one knee on the court in unison when the pre-game anthem began playing.

Many players listened to the performance with their heads down and others linked their arms in a symbol of unity, as LeBron James did with Anthony Davis, the other star of the Lakers.

Players wore black jerseys with the slogan “Black Lives Matter” (The life of black people matters), which is also recorded in the center of the court without spectators of the Disney World sports complex (Orlando).

The league and players promised that this end of their season, despite the isolated conditions in the Disney World “bubble”, contribute to ongoing anti-racism protests triggered by African American crime George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer two months ago.

Although its rules have required players to remain on their feet during the performance of the anthem since the early 1980s, the commissioner Adam Silver He advanced that, “under these unique circumstances,” the league will not act against the teams.

“I respect the unified act of peaceful protest of our teams for social justice“Silver said in a brief statement.

Messages instead of names

The gesture of kneeling down has become one of the symbols of the massive demonstrations for racial equality and an end to police brutality that have taken place in the United States and other countries in recent months.

This type of protest was popularized in 2016 by the American football player Colin Kaepernick, who was at the time subject to harsh criticism, including the president Donald Trump, and was never rehired by any NFL team.

“With what is happening in our country, I think it is critical that all of us, in a unified way, turn our attention to social justice,” said the Jazz coach, Quin Snyder, interviewed during the game.

In the first match of the day, in which the Utah Jazz were imposed on the New Orleans Pelicans by 106-104 the rookie Zion Williamson He wore the word “Peace” on his uniform, while both his partner in the Pelicans Lonzo Ball like the Utah Jazz franchise pvot Rudy Gobert they opted for “Equality”.

Then began the second and last game of the day, between the Lakers and the Clippers, in which the starss Lebron James and Kawhi Leonard they preferred to keep their names on the shirts.

Jazz achieves first victory

The first basket of the campaign resumption was scored by Gobert, whose contagion coronavirus forced the abrupt suspension of the season on March 11.

His team, the Jazz, won the first match in a tight finale in which the forward Brandon Ingram He missed a triple in the last few seconds that New Orleans could win.

The top scorer of the game was Jazz backup guard Jordan Clarkson, with 23 points, while his teammates Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley they scored 20 each and Rudy Gobert made 14 units and 12 rebounds.

For the Pelicans, Ingram scored 23 points and veteran shooting guard JJ Reddick another 21 while Zion Williamson, with just a couple of workouts after his return to the “bubble”, scored 13 points in just 15 minutes on track.

The Pelicans, who rank tenth in the Western Conference, want to take advantage of the eight regular-season games to be played at Disney World to catch up with the Memphis Grizzlies, who hold eighth place, the last one that gives tickets to the playoffs, which will start on August 17.

With daily tests of coronavirus And with countless restrictions, the NBA has created a security environment at Disney World to protect players from the pandemic, which has already claimed more than 150,000 lives in the United States.

The courts have also been adapted to prevent risks, with those responsible for the control of the games separated from the teams by a window.

The bench seats have been separated at a greater distance and, although it is not mandatory, some people wear a mask during the game, such as the Pelicans coach, Alvin Gentry, one of the league’s oldest veterans at 65.