As The NBA And WNBA Debate Restart, Are Leagues Showing That Black Athletes’ Lives Matter?

Since the NBA paused its season on the evening of March 11th, the world has been swept by the pandemic as well as a wave of social protests passionately focusing America’s attention on issues of police violence and racial justice. Now, as the nation’s professional basketball leagues and players debate if and how to safely resume play, the uncomfortable but essential question must be asked:

Are the basketball leagues’ owners, teams and fans sufficiently demonstrating that Black athletes’ lives matter?

The question has taken on greater urgency as several players have expressed growing concern regarding the leagues’ plans to resume play in Orlando. In a call Zoom call Friday evening, approximately 80 players, including some players from the WNBA, had an animated discussion in which several players, led in part by Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kyrie Irving, expressed doubts about proposed plans. In subsequent days, Los Angeles Laker Dwight Howard also expressed his concerns about playing in the current environment, and many more players are commenting privately about their hesitation regarding NBA and WNBA’s unfinalized plans.

While many players are unquestionably interested in returning to play, others are concerned about both the fundamental financial, safety and social aspects of the restart plan. Many players are also openly questioning whether going into “the bubble” in Orlando is the most effective way to also express their own personal purpose at this highly emotional and transformational time in the country’s history.

At a time when the issue of racial equity is at the forefront of the country’s minds, there are also real questions about whether the leagues and owners are equitably considering the impact of reopening on the athletes, particularly as a majority of both league’s rosters are Black. Reports of the initial offers by the league also have many players openly wondering whether their lives and well-being are being sacrificed for the financial benefit of the leagues and emotional needs of their fans.

Put more bluntly, for those desperately seeking the return of professional sports, the question is this: is it fair to ask a group of predominately Black athletes to make their own sacrifice in order to distract a nation that has important issues to focus on?

Many believe no.

Much has been written about NBA negotiations, but perhaps the discussions around the WNBA are illustrative. Reports have suggested that the initial proposal offered  by the WNBA would pay players 60% of their salary, and require players to share a roommate for the duration of their over three months in the “bubble,” without the opportunity to bring a partner or spouse to stay with them. While subsequent negotiations modified the pay proposal up to 100% of salary as well as the inclusion of a “plus-one” for players with over five years of service, the modified terms only came after players insisted on them. And even now, players will be expected to cover the cost of their partners joining them in the “bubble.”

Put that in stark contrast to the early days of the pandemic, when front-line workers and other professionals who were called to work at personal risk to themselves and their families were actually paid a premium, often referred to as hazard pay, for their services. Why shouldn’t that be the case for professional players as well? While no doubt many would say professional athletes are well compensated, the fact is that in the WNBA the average league cash compensation is $130,000, and many of the players need to play overseas during their off-season to fully provide for themselves and their families. If the players must leave their homes, their families, and their children to play in potentially risky isolated environments, aren’t these players also deserving of more pay for greater risk?

There is also the question of whether the NBA and WNBA officials and owners are truly learning from the lessons of other professional sports leagues. Take for example the NFL, which only recently reversed course and apologized for not more fully supporting the protests of the league’s Black activists, including the protest movement of taking a knee during the national anthem. While the NBA and league owners, a majority of whom are white, are quick to offer supportive words, financial contributions to causes aligned with racial justice, and other high-profile gestures, many players have still been left wondering: is there a true allyship between the leagues, the owners, and the players themselves when it comes time to put lives on the line?

Renee Montgomery, WNBA veteran champion and current starter for the Atlanta Dream, believes the leagues can do more to step up as allies for Black athletes’ desire to support their communities.

“At this moment, where the nation’s eyes are focused on how the country can more fairly treat its Black citizens, Black athletes have huge potential to be a positive force for change during these fractured times,” Montgomery said. “We are more than ‘just’ professional basketball players – like other Americans, we are trying to balance our careers, our families and our activist passions to support our home communities that are calling for leadership right now. The “bubble” in Orlando might be where we can play basketball, but it’s the world outside the bubble that needs our dedication as well.”

Montgomery isn’t alone in the sense that local communities will benefit from professional basketball players being at home instead of in Orlando. Future NBA Hall of Famer and current Los Angeles Laker Dwight Howard expressed a similar opinion. In a statement released by his agent, Howard was blunt:

“I agree with Kyrie (Irving). Basketball, or entertainment period, isn’t needed at this moment, and will only be a distraction. Sure, it might not distract us the players, but we have resources at hand [a] majority of our community don’t have. And the smallest distraction for them, can start a trickle-down effect that may never stop. Especially with the way the climate is now. I would love nothing more than to win my very first NBA Championship. But the unity of My People would be an even bigger Championship, that’s just too beautiful to pass up. What better time than now for us to be focusing on our families?”

In an alternative perspective, Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers sees playing in Orlando as having its benefits for the social protests sweeping the nation. 

In a lengthy statement he shared on Instagram, Rivers said that he believes playing in Orlando would actually be way to help those local communities in need.

“Us coming back would put money in all of our (NBA players’) pockets,” Rivers wrote. “With this money you could help out even more people and continue to give more importantly your time and energy towards the BLM movement. Which I’m 100% on board with. Because change needs to happen and injustice has been going on too long.”

The leagues are reportedly saying that the players can opt not to come to Orlando, but the choice for many is complex. With training camp to begin later this month, many players are worried about whether their will risk injury after lengthy break – a possibility that itself has significant financial risk for players. But not showing up for play also has its risk for players who might suffer backlash from management and fans.

This challenge also begs an equally important question about the restart – how best can fans also be allies for Black athletes? While no doubt many NBA supporters are anxious to see their sport resume and crown champions, what are fans willing to ask the players to sacrifice for their entertainment? Is it fair to ask athletes, especially Black athletes, to choose between their desire to support their communities and their desire the pursue their profession? And before fans call out players for being selfish, isn’t it important that fans ask themselves if perhaps they are being the selfish ones by not allying themselves with players seeking fairness in their negotiations with the league?

Allyship, especially for Black Lives, isn’t just making offers of encouragement. It’s an exercise of listening, acknowledging, and understanding that the Black leaders themselves are best positioned to speak to their own needs. They are the ones who have the privilege and the right to make an invitation for how others can provide solidarity with them. As ESPN and Fox Sports analyst LaChina Robinson tweeted:

“If you are not Black please be careful inserting your opinions on how Black professional athletes can best serve and empower their community during the Black Lives Matter movement. It’s not your brother, father, sister, family dying at the hands of police. #BlackLivesMatter”

As the United States continues to grapple with a history in which the lives and labor of Black individuals have largely been undervalued and overly persecuted, the present negotiations between athletes and their leagues highlight just how much more work needs to be done to learn from the lessons of the past, and to make progress for the future. Players, especially Black players, understand this, and leagues, owners, and fans need to show they do as well.

Yes, Black athletes’ lives unquestionably matter. But perhaps the better question is: how best can the NBA, WBNA  and fans demonstrate that that they do?

That’s not a game for the bubble — it is a question for right now.