NBA: ‘Black Lives Matter’ among approved jersey messages

LOS ANGELES— A piece of the NBA’s plan to battle racial injustice fell into place Friday. The league and the players union agreed on messages players can wear instead of their names on the backs of their jerseys for the first four days of the league’s reboot.

Among the approved messages: “Black Lives Matter,” “I Can’t Breathe,” “Vote,” “Justice,” “Stand Up,” “Listen,” “Listen to Us,” “Say Their Names,”

“Peace,” “How Many More,” “Education Reform,” “Liberation,” “Equality,” “Freedom,” “Enough,” “Say Her Name,” “Speak Up,” “Ally,” “Anti-Racist,” “Justice Now,” “Power to the People,” “See Us,” “Hear Us,” “Respect Us,” “Love Us,” and “Group Economics.”

After the first four days, players can keep the messages on their jerseys with their names below their number. Players also may forgo messaging altogether.

“I just think the NBA, we lead,” Lakers forward Jared Dudley said. “I think (commissioner) Adam Silver, to me, is the best. He’s trying to make it right, trying to bring awareness front and centre ... And he’s basically giving us a platform, a stage.”

The NBA also will have “Black Lives Matter” printed on the courts in prominent locations, according to people familiar with the plans. The league and union also are discussing other plans to help players better use their platforms, including bringing in a series of guest speakers.

In the handbook provided to players for the resumption of the season, the NBA stated its intentions to use its return to amplify these issues.

“A central goal of our season restart will be to utilize the NBA’s platform to bring attention and sustained action to issues of social injustice, including combating systemic racism, expanding educational and economic opportunities across the Black community, enacting meaningful police and criminal justice reform and promoting greater civic engagement,” the league said on the second page of the handbook.