Mentally Drained

“To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time. ”

― James Baldwin

Mentally I’m exhausted. 2020! Whew child! From Racism, Earthquakes, Wild Fires, Kobe Passing, No Sports, a Pandemic, Clemson losing, and social unrest. This year has truly been hell. We have an election on the way and flu season coming up just as a reminder.

I wasn’t confident the NBA season would go on without issues, but I never thought social unrest would be the cause.

On Wednesday (8/26) the NBA players boycotted playing in the bubble. The Milwaukee Bucks took the lead, as they refused to take the floor to play against the Magic. Led by George Hill and Sterling Brown, the Bucks players stood in solidarity against racial angst in their backyard. Bucks player Sterling Brown had a very public run-in with the police on January 26, 2018, where he was arrested inappropriately and tased.

The rest of the players stood in solidarity with their NBA brothers and the games were called off for 8/26 and 8/27. No exact word when games will resume. Many of the fans are confused as to why the NBA players took this stand and it’s simple, they’re black men in America who have experienced issues first hand or family members have. They’re fighting for the people they grew up with, the family member back home, the little black boys and girls who don’t come from money, they’re fighting for their children. I applaud the NBA players for using their leverage a promote change; they recognize the power that they do have.

How did sitting out promote change? Well NBA players have access to millionaires and billionaires; they can influence initiatives and their respective organizations to be change agents in the communities that they represent. It’s a blessing to have a league where players are encouraged to have a voice.

Why did they agree to play? The short answer is money. The players' boycott can be viewed as a strike, breaching the contract of the CBA and making the player renegotiate their deals. Also, the can create more change by getting paid to me. Also, progress is being made. Michael Jordan has taken the lead and is bridging the gap between the players and the owners and is giving them the black male perspective. I feel as there will be positive changes as a result of these critical conversations.

I realize change doesn’t happen overnight, and most players realize that too. The players are fighting for the next generation. We’re sick and tired of being seen as less than. Black lives matter!

Here is an interesting tweet I saw last night:

-Rodney