Which messages will the Philadelphia 76ers don?
The NBA will give every player the chance to plaster a social justice message on the back of his jersey when the season re-starts later this month. The Philadelphia 76ers are sure to be avid participants as the league pursues meaningful change.
While we don’t know each individual pick yet, the vast majority of NBA players have already selected their messages. According to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears, 285 of 350 eligible players have made picks, with more expected to roll in as the season approaches.
The list of options is as follows:
"Black Lives Matter — Say Their Names — Vote — I Can’t Breathe — Justice — Peace — Equality — Freedom — Enough — Power to the People — Justice Now — Say Her Name — Sí Se Puede (Yes We Can) — Liberation — See Us — Hear Us — Respect Us — Love Us — Listen — Listen to Us — Stand Up — Ally — Anti-Racist — I Am A Man — Speak Up — How Many More — Group Economics — Education Reform — Mentor"
Per ESPN, the most common selection was ‘EQUALITY’, with ‘BLACK LIVES MATTER’ in second. Some will have their messages translated to other languages. The Sixers have a handful of international players on the roster from non-English speaking countries — most notably Furkan Korkmaz, Al Horford, and Raul Neto.
One Sixer has already made his pick known. Matisse Thybulle will wear ‘VOTE’ across the back of his jersey when the season begins. Thybulle joined Tobias Harris in Philadelphia’s protests of injustice following the murder of George Floyd.
Leading by example. pic.twitter.com/Dvxs9t6hwN
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) June 7, 2020
Not everyone has gotten on board with the league’s efforts to inspire change. Mike Scott called the NBA’s list of messages “a bad miss,” citing the lack of input from players.
"“I’m all about just doing, instead of saying and posting, or putting something on the back of your jersey. I don’t think that’s going to stop anything, you know?”"
He has a fair point. The league’s effort on this front has felt largely superficial up to this point, and not allowing players to craft their own messages — or at least pitch them to the league — seems like a misstep. Players do not have to participate, and it’s possible Scott chooses to use his platform in a different way.
The NBA does, however, plan to use the jerseys to contribute financially to these causes. Per ESPN, opening day jerseys with social justice messages will be auctioned off to create “a player-administered social justice fund.” Certainly a step in the right direction.