Given that the NBA has not grown the options of social justice-based sayings that players can choose from on their jerseys, the NBA’s players union has taken it upon themselves, in collaboration with Russell Westbrook, to change that.
The NBPA partnered with Westbrook’s clothing line, Honor the Gift, to design shirts with messages that were not approved for NBA jerseys.
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The following messages will be included in the line, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charnia
- Systemic Racism
- Police Reform
- I Can’t Breathe
- No Justice No Peace
- Break the Cycle
- Strange Fruit
- By Any Means
- Power to the People
- Equality
- Am I Next?
Additionally, the names of police brutality victims will adorn the front of every shirt. Those names include Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, Terence Crutcher, Sandra Bland, Pamela Turner, Tamir Rice and Ahmaud Arbery.
Westbrook himself also released a preview of the shirts on his personal Twitter account:
Honor the Gift is extremely proud to collaborate with the NBPA to create a collection of shirts that allow us players to shed light on social injustice, and honor the victims and families of those who continue to inspire us. pic.twitter.com/drf2f7NocD
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) July 20, 2020
It’s not yet known whether players will be allowed to wear the shirts during waramups or if they will only be permitted to wear them around the NBA bubble.