Patrick Beverley says basketball is "not important" right now
We're living in one of the most volatile times in modern human history. On one end, the NBA world learned about the return of basketball today. On the other end, America is in the middle of its biggest civil rights movement ever. For Patrick Beverley, the latter matters more.
Make no mistake, Patrick Beverley wanted to play basketball just as much as any player in the league. He had been vocal about wanting to play nearly all quarantine, telling the NBA to "check ball" just last week. However, as 2020 has so perfectly illustrated, things can change in a week.
The murder of George Floyd has galvanized the world towards African American rights in a way that people haven't seen. Every single state, and multiple countries around, are protesting for the cause. Jaylen Brown, Steph Curry, Karl-Anthony Towns, and multiple NBA players are currently protesting across the country. It would be unfair to make them focus efforts elsewhere.
On the opposing side, the entire world is going through one of its darkest moments in modern human history. With a never-ending list of unfortunate events in only six months, there has been very little to look forward to this year. Some would argue that sports could be something that brings a little bit of light during the dark time. Both arguments can be considered valid.
NBA players have found themselves in a tough spot. They've spent the past three months pushing hard for an NBA return. The moment players finally got what they wanted, the unprecedented happened.
