A coalition of top NBA players and executives are throwing their clout behind the Democrat-backed George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
The group, called the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition (NBSJC), released a statement Tuesday, which marked one year since the death of George Floyd, backing the police reform bill passed in a nearly party-line vote in March. Two Democrats, Reps. Jared Golden (ME) and Ron Kind (WI), joined Republicans in voting against the legislation.
The NBSJC statement says:
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.
The NBSJC mistakenly claim the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act received bipartisan support in the House. While Republican Rep. Lance Gooden (TX) voted for the act along with almost every other Democrat, he later switched his vote saying he accidently hit the wrong button. No other Republican supported the legislation.
The NBSJC includes many of the most prominent names in the NBA. According to ESPN:
Among the members of the coalition are players Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Sterling Brown, Donovan Mitchell and Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as multiple team owners, including Micky Arison, Steve Ballmer, Clay Bennett, Marc Lasry and Vivek Ranadive. Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers and former NBA coach Lloyd Pierce are also part of the coalition, as are NBA commissioner Adam Silver, NBPA executive director Michele Roberts and NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum.