On Sunday, Shams Charania reported the NBPA has partnered with Russell Westbrook's clothing line, Honor the Gift, to design shirts emblazoned with social justice messages that weren't on the NBA's approved list for use on the back of players' jerseys for the upcoming restart.
According to Charania, the options include:
- 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?
Westbrook shared what the collection looks like on Instagram.
LeBron James said last week that he decided against replacing his last name on the back of his jersey with something from the league's approved list because they didn't "resonate with my mission, with my goal."
"I would have loved to have a say-so on what would have went on the back of my jersey," James said, per ESPN. "I had a couple things in mind, but I wasn't part of that process, which is OK. I'm absolutely OK with that. ... I don't need to have something on the back of my jersey for people to understand my mission or know what I'm about and what I'm here to do."
James' teammate, Anthony Davis, explained that he will also keep "Davis" on the back of his jersey because of what his surname means to him. "I think the name 'Davis' is something I try to represent every time I step on the floor with my family. I was torn between the two," he said, via Mark Medina of USA Today. "My last name is very important to me."
The NBA's list of suggested messages were:
- Black Lives Matter
- Say Her Name
- Say Their Names
- Vote
- I Can't Breathe
- Justice
- Peace
- Equality
- Freedom
- Enough
- Power to the People
- Justice Now
- Sí Se Puede (Yes We Can)
- Liberation
- See Us
- Hear Us
- Respect Us
- Love Us
- Listen
- Listen to Us
- Stand Up
- Ally
- Anti-Racist
- I Am A Man
- Speak Up
- How Many More
- Group Economics
- Education Reform
- Mentor
As of last week, 285 of the anticipated 350 NBA players had already picked a social justice message to put on their jerseys, while 17 had chosen to use their names instead.
