On January 6, when a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol Building, they forced our already bleeding country to endure yet another body blow to kick off the new year. This blatant act of domestic terrorism was a desperate attempt by Trump supporters to kidnap and assassinate elected officials in an effort to overturn his defeat in the 2020 Presidential election. With the advancement of technology and social media, acts of social injustice have come to light over the past few years like never before in history. It becomes a lot harder to remain blissfully ignorant to the struggles that those around you go through when the content is staring you in the face whenever you open your phone. Through the midst of it all, it was once again sports that were forced to reflect the moment and decide how to move forward. 

In the NBA, all teams that played the night of the riot raised awareness by the opposing teams kneeling together before the game as a symbol of unity. Although in Milwaukee, the Bucks and the Detroit Pistons knelt for seven seconds on each of their first possessions during the game to signify the seven times the Kenosha Police shot Jacob Blake. The Kenosha Police officers shot Blake in front of his children and from point blank range as he was walking away this past summer. However, a grand jury indicted none of the officers involved, with the rationale being that it justified such an excessive use of force. The hypocrisy of that was exposed only 24 hours later, when police officers in D.C. essentially escorted a group of rioters with guns into the U.S. Capitol. It was yet another stark reminder of the distinct set of rules for white people versus people of color in America.

This reminder was a sting that was felt across the professional sports world, but particularly the National Basketball Association, where people of color makeup over 81% of the league. “Could you imagine today if those people were all black that stormed into the Capitol? And what would have happened to them? So that for me is a picture that’s worth a thousand words for all to see,” Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers said during a recent post conference with reporters. 

Sports are most important because they create events that bring people together. Whether athletes are on the court, field, gridiron or diamond, sports are supposed to be the one place where the color of your skin shouldn’t matter. It is a merit based system where all that matters is how good you are, how hard you work, and the team you represent. Therefore, it provides a perfect platform to raise awareness to social issues, particularly those regarding race in our country. The NBA and its new commissioner, Adam Silver, have done a tremendous job of speaking up and raising awareness towards social justice. Silver understands the amount of impact the league has with their being so many viewers of all different racial and ethnic backgrounds. They have effectively used their platform to bring people together, setting an example for all professional sports leagues.