Wow

The times they are a-changin'.

NBA Statement:

We had a candid, impassioned and productive conversation yesterday between NBA players, coaches and team governors regarding next steps to further our collective efforts and actions in support of social justice and racial equality. Among others, the attendees included player and team representatives of all 13 teams in Orlando. All parties agreed to resume NBA playoff games on Saturday, Aug. 29 with the understanding that the league together with the players will work to enact the following commitments:

1. The NBA and its players have agreed to immediately establish a social justice coalition, with representatives from players, coaches and governors, that will be focused on a broad range of issues, including increasing access to voting, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform.

2. In every city where the league franchise owns and controls the arena property, team governors will continue to work with local elections officials to convert the facility into a voting location for the 2020 general election to allow for a safe in-person voting option for communities vulnerable to COVID. If a deadline has passed, team governors will work with local elections officials to find another election-related use for the facility, including but not limited to voter registration and ballot receiving boards.

3. The league will work with the players and our network partners to create and include advertising spots in each NBA playoff game dedicated to promoting greater civic engagement in national and local elections and raising awareness around voter access and opportunity.

These commitments follow months of close collaboration around designing a safe and healthy environment to restart the NBA season, providing a platform to promote social justice, as well as creating an NBA Foundation focused on economic empowerment in the Black community. "We look forward to the resumption of the playoffs and continuing to work together – in Orlando and in all NBA team markets – to push for meaningful and sustainable change.

  Yahoo Sports

Amazing.

No shit!

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

New York gets help

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Saturday that the NBA will donate 1 million surgical masks for the state’s essential workers, in collaboration with multiple New York NBA teams, as well as Chinese official Huang Ping.

“New York thanks you,” Cuomo shared in a tweet Saturday, naming the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. “We are beyond grateful for this gift of critically needed [personal protective equipment].”

Cuomo also confirmed Saturday during a COVID-19 briefing that the state will accept 1,000 ventilators from Chinese donors. Jack Ma, Joe Tsai, the Jack Ma Foundation and the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation all contributed the stock of essential equipment for treating patients infected with the coronavirus.

New York has been the hardest hit area in the U.S. amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As of Saturday, there have been a total of 113,706 cases reported in New York state and at least 3,565 deaths.

  The Hill

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

The feud line is long and getting longer

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is hitting President Trump for hosting "military singalongs" in place of the canceled Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl celebration at the White House.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kerr mocked the president for appearing to only sing part of "God Bless America" during the "Celebration of America" event.

[...]

Warriors head coach blasts Trump for holding ‘military singalong’ instead of meeting Eagles Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is hitting President Trump for hosting "military singalongs" in place of the canceled Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl celebration at the White House.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kerr mocked the president for appearing to only sing part of "God Bless America" during the "Celebration of America" event.

According to The Washington Post, Kerr said he found the image ironic, calling Eagles players who do community service more patriotic than the commander in chief.

"When you read about their good deeds in their communities — Malcolm Jenkins addressing lawmakers, really trying to get to the root of some of the issues that we have — and instead we just have these military singalongs at the White House to show how patriotic we are — even though we don’t know the words," Kerr said. Kerr used the WNBA champions, the Minnesota Lynx, as another example of athletes showing their patriotism through work in the community. After not receiving an invite to the White House, the Lynx spent a day in Washington, D.C., with students from Payne Elementary, a school where 100 percent of the students fall under “low income status.”

[...]

Both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors have said that the winner of the NBA Finals will not visit the White House if invited.

  The Hill

And they won't be.

OK, NBA, ball's in your court

UPDATE: