NEW YORK — On behalf of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, James Cadogan, the Coalition’s Executive Director, released the following statement:
“Almost exactly one year ago, George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis. Like millions around the world, NBA players, coaches, governors, officials, and staff throughout our organizations were outraged to see the horrifying and unlawful actions of the officer who pinned Mr. Floyd’s neck to the ground under his knee for 9 minutes. Mr. Floyd’s death added new fuel to the protests, marches, and urgent calls for racial justice and reform locally and nationally.
“Today, as this painful anniversary approaches, we have an opportunity to honor the memory of Mr. Floyd and others who have been victims of police brutality in this country by passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Systemic problems demand systemic solutions. And, because police actions are governed by a diverse array of state laws and local policies, the Floyd Act takes unprecedented strides towards consistency—reforming at a federal level the practices that failed its namesake.
“The bill already passed with a bipartisan vote in the U.S. House of Representatives and is now pending in the Senate where we hope it will have similar bipartisan support as it should and must. As Board Members of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, representing the NBA, the Players Association, the Coaches Association, league staff, and teams in every region of the country, we are calling on our elected representatives of both parties to work together to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in the U.S. Senate now and present it to President Biden for him to sign into law this year.
“As members of the NBA family, we will continue to use our influence to support common-sense policy reform in our communities across the nation so that equal justice is afforded to all.”
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
Carmelo Anthony (Portland Trail Blazers)
Avery Bradley (Houston Rockets)
Sterling Brown (Houston Rockets)
Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)
Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Micky Arison (Miami Heat Managing General Partner)
Steve Ballmer (L.A. Clippers Chairman)
Clay Bennett (Oklahoma City Thunder Chairman)
Marc Lasry (Milwaukee Bucks Governor)
Vivek Ranadivé (Sacramento Kings Governor & Chairman)
Coach Lloyd Pierce
Coach Doc Rivers (Philadelphia 76ers)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts
NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum
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In 2020, the NBA and NBPA formed the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, an organization that leads the NBA family’s collaborative efforts to address racial and social inequality by advocating for policy change at the national, state, and local level.
