Many of the black players in the NBA have dealt with racism their whole lives, says Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard. Now they are using their platforms to fight social justice issues, give back to the community, and educate the people. Racism is nothing new to the 2019 NBA Finals MVP.
In his first media appearance since arriving at the Orlando bubble, Kawhi Leonard shed light on the climate of black players on the Clippers. “For me and my teammates, pretty much everybody is Black. We’ve been giving back to the communities, it’s just broadcasted now.”
All over the news and media, you see Black Lives Matter, and it’s a huge focal point on fighting for equality. Leonard says, “What’s happening, and what everybody is seeing on the news. It’s been like that. For me, I’ve been seeing those situations. It’s nothing new to me. I’m going to continue to help, and educate people.”
The Clippers superstar reiterated the fact everything that is going on today, he has seen his whole life. This is no surprise. Even as an NBA player, racism is something athletes have to deal with it. So before police brutality, and injustice we’re highlighted, players like Leonard already felt obligated to make change.
Players have been asked to wear names on the back of their jerseys, and some players don’t feel they need to, or they are more focused on action.
When asked by reporters if he is going to wear a statement on his jersey, Leonard calmly responded and said, “It doesn’t matter if we have a statement on the back of our jersey, it’s about doing the work.”
Clippers guard Rodney Mcgruder announced he will be wearing “Peace” on the back of his jersey. “I’ve chosen to go with Peace. The one thing we’ve always spoken for world peace, so that’s one thing that I’m going to make my statement during the restart.”
