Lou Williams wants NBA jerseys and courts to say "Black Lives Matter"
When the NBA returns, players want to make sure it matters. They want to make sure the return doesn't diminish the change for social justice. For Lou Williams, the balance between hooping and social justice is the most important thing in a return.
The reigning sixth man of the year appeared on CoStar, where he discussed the current climate of the United States, the NBA's return, and figuring out a way to balance them together.
"We don’t know what’s the right decision now," Williams said. "We’re trying to figure that out on the fly like everybody else because we have a job to do, livelihoods. We have families to feed and we’re also a majority of Black men at the same time. And so we’re trying to find that balance where if we do suit up we’re having conversations behind closed doors."
The biggest concern for Williams is to make sure an NBA return results in player's platforms being used to the maximum degree. No matter what the climate looks like in six weeks, sports is a distraction - it can be used to heal, or used to make people forget. When the NBA returns, people will inevitably spend more time watching their televisions, than protest. With that in mind, Williams wants to make sure the return keeps the significance going.
Returning to play presents a legitimate struggle for Lou Williams. He wants to win an NBA championship, but he also wants to make sure that winning doesn't belittle a cultural movement. Over the next week, he'll need to make that decision for himself.
"It’s just hard to call, man. Honestly, it’s hard to call. I’m 50/50 right now, to be honest.”
