Lakers Coaching Staff Vows To Continue Advocating For Social Justice
The Lakers coaching staff made a video in which they vowed to continue to fight for social justice, each saying “change is coming.”
Lakers coach Frank Vogel and his assistant coaches - Jason Kidd, Phil Handy, Mike Penberthy, Quinton Crawford, Miles Simon and Lionel Hollins - shared the message that the resumed NBA season will not stop them from fighting systemic racism.
This was their message: “It’s time. Finally. Back to basketball. Back to business. Back to normal. Yeah, right. If we’ve learned anything at all, it’s that we will absolutely not go back. The only place we’re going is forward. Basketball may be back but change is coming. Change is coming. Change is coming. Change is coming. Change is coming. Change is coming. We are not done. The Black Lives Matter conversation is not over. So just know, whether we’re in Orlando or L.A., we are not done with this conversation because Black Lives Matter.”
Vogel was the first and last to speak.
Kidd retweeted the video and wrote: “We are not done. The conversation is just beginning. #BlackLivesMatter”
The majority of players will wear social justice messages on the back of their jerseys when the season resumes July 30 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando. LeBron James and Anthony Davis, however, chose to have their last names on their jerseys for different reasons.
James said none of the 29 messages that the NBA and NBPA approved resonated with his mission. Davis wanted to continue to honor his family and said he'd find other ways to fight racial injustices.
Black Lives Matter will be painted on the basketball courts inside both sidelines for the resumed season.
The Lakers (49-14) are in first place in the Western Conference and are looking to win the franchise’s first championship since 2010.
