Stephen Jackson Urging NBA To Cancel Season, 'Now Ain't The Time'
By the TMZ Staff
Stephen Jackson is imploring NBA players to NOT return to action this season ... saying a basketball comeback would hurt the Black Lives Matter movement and the fight for social justice.
"Now ain't the time to be playing basketball, y'all," the former NBA star said. "Now ain't the time."
Jackson was friends with George Floyd and has become a very influential voice in the media since Floyd was killed.
"Playing basketball is going to do one thing: take all the attention off the task at hand right now and what we fighting for."
Jackson says the NBA season -- which is currently set to tip off next month in a "bubble environment" in Orlando -- would dominate the headlines ... and push away all the progress national protests have made in the wake of George Floyd's death last month.
"Nobody's going to be talking about getting justice for all these senseless murders by the police," he said. "And, nobody's going to be focusing on the task at hand, bro."
Several players are already in Jackson's corner ... Nets star Kyrie Irving and Lakers stud Dwight Howard have both said this past week they don't want to come back.
In fact, Howard said straight-up, "No Basketball 'til we get things resolved."
Of course, others want to see the season go forward ... the league's biggest star -- and Howard's teammate -- LeBron James, has said consistently he's ready for a comeback ASAP.
And, Clippers guard Patrick Beverly backed him in a tweet Sunday, writing, "Hoopers say what y’all want. If @KingJames said he hooping. We all hooping. Not Personal only BUSINESS"
But, Jackson doubled down in another video message to players Sunday ... saying, "Our moment is now."
NBA, NBPA say sparking social change will be goal of restart
The Associated Press
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association said Wednesday that dealing with racial matters will be a shared goal during the resumed season.
The league and union announced they will “take collective action to combat systemic racism and promote social justice” when the season restarts at the Disney complex near Orlando, Florida next month.
Specific plans have not been finalized.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts led a meeting that included league officials and players Tuesday to go over plans, including how best to ensure greater inclusion of Black-owned and operated businesses in league matters and forming an NBA foundation “to expand educational and economic development opportunities” in the Black community.
“The issues of systemic racism and police brutality in our country need to end,” union president Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder said.
He added, “there is much work ahead both in Orlando and long-term to continue the momentum and bring about real, long-lasting change to our society.”
Silver said talks will continue.
Mark Cuban confirms Mavericks are no longer playing national anthem at home games
By Daniel Canova | Fox News
https://i.imgur.com/wnv2sitl.jpg
The Dallas Mavericks have taken a stance against the playing of the national anthem.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirmed to The Athletic that it was his decision to no longer play the national anthem prior to home games at American Airlines Center. The Mavericks haven’t played the national anthem prior to home games this season, and the team doesn’t plan on playing it for the foreseeable future.
The Mavericks, who have an 11-14 record, have played 12 games at their home arena this season. They haven’t played the national anthem in any of their 13 preseason games, as well as those 12 regular-season matchups, including Monday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which was the first game with a small number of fans in the stands.
Cuban and the Mavericks didn’t publicize the removal of the national anthem prior to games, but The Athletic reached out to the team after realizing that it wasn’t played before Monday’s matchup. A number of team employees only noticed the removal of the anthem on their own, according to The Athletic. They also said that it was not announced or explained internally.
The Athletic reported that Cuban declined a request for further comment or explanation Monday evening. The Mavericks organization also declined comment Tuesday, per the website.
NBA requiring teams to play national anthem after Mark Cuban axed song for Mavs games
By Paulina Dedaj | Fox News
The NBA is requiring that all teams play the national anthem before games "in keeping with longstanding league policy," just one day after Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told The Athletic the team decided not to play it at home games.
NBA Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass released a statement on Wednesday, just a day after Cuban said he had no plans to play the national anthem at any future home games.
"With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming back fans into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy," Bass said.
Cuban told The New York Times: "We are good with it."
The Mavericks have not played the national anthem at any home games at American Airlines Center this season, a decision Cuban made back in November.
Sources close to Cuban told The Athletic earlier Wednesday that the decision wasn’t "because they don’t love U.S., but because many feel anthem doesn’t represent them, and they want to continue discussion of how to represent people from all communities when honoring U.S. at game."
The league’s announcement appears to be a reversal from its initial response on Tuesday in which NBA spokesman Tim Frank told the Associated Press, "Under the unique circumstances of this season, teams are permitted to run their pregame operations as they see fit."
Cuban issued another statement Wednesday saying that the team will play the anthem later that night during their home game against the Atlanta Hawks.
"We respect and always have respect the passion people have for the anthem and our country," the statement began. "I have always stood for the anthem with the hand over my heart - no matter where I hear it played."
He continued: "But we also hear the voices of those who do not feel the anthem represents them. We feel they also need to be respected and heard, because they have not been heard. The hope is that those who feel passionate about the anthem being played will be just as passionate in listening to those who do not feel it represents them."
It was not immediately clear what prompted the league’s reversal.