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76ers' Mike Scott Doesn't Hold Back From Criticizing the NBA

Philadelphia 76ers veteran Mike Scott is never one to shy away from his opinion. And recently, he voiced frustration with NBA's attempt to fight social injustice in Orlando's bubble.
Justin Grasso|
76ers' Mike Scott Doesn't Hold Back From Criticizing the NBA
76ers' Mike Scott Doesn't Hold Back From Criticizing the NBA

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving caught a lot of heat a few weeks back as he claimed the NBA's restart in a bubble city could take attention away from the real world's issues at hand. As many NBA fans and players have been a part of speaking out and fighting against racism, social injustice, and police brutality in the U.S., Irving feared the return of basketball would become a distraction.

So in an attempt to bring basketball back without taking the attention off of the protests, the NBA has searched to come up with ways to keep the message going when the league is back in action. And one of their ideas didn't mainly sit well with Philadelphia 76ers veteran forward, Mike Scott.

"[The NBA] gave us a list of names to put on the back of jerseys," Scott said on Monday morning. "That was terrible." A couple of days ago, the NBA and the players' union agreed on a list of suggested social messages, which players can choose from to add to their jerseys when the league returns to action, per a report from ESPN.

After seeing the final list without an opportunity to offer any input, Scott voiced his displeasure with the league's idea. "It was a bad list, bad choice," a frustrated Scott continued. "They didn't give players a chance to voice their opinions -- they just gave us a list to pick from. I'm all about just doing instead of saying, hosting, or putting somebody on the back of your jersey. I don't think that's going to stop anything."

Scott wasn't alone with his criticism towards the NBA on Monday. Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown agreed with Scott's opinion, as he feels the same way. "I'm very disappointed in the list," Brown told MassLive's, Tom Westerholm. Like Scott, Brown would prefer the NBA to extend the list with suggestions from the players.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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