Carmelo Anthony, Doc Rivers & others named in first NBA Social Justice Coalition Board

Back in August, NBA issued a statement where it ted that league, in partnership with National Basketball Players' Association (NBPA), will before establishing  social justice coalition in order to use ir platform to social change. On Monday, Athletic revealed names of  members that will be a part of first NBA Social Justice Coalition Board.

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NBA Social Justice Coalition Board

According to report, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum and NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts will be members of board. Among players, Portland Trail Blazers' Carmelo Anthony, Utah Jazz's Dovan Mitchell, Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns, Los Angeles Lakers' Avery Bradley and Milwaukee Bucks' Sterling Brown will be sitting on board. board will also include team goverrs Micky Arison, Steve Ballmer, Clay Bennett, Marc Lasry and Vivek Ranadive; and NBA coaches Lloyd Pierce and Doc Rivers. 

idea for NBA Social Justice Coalition Board was put forth after Milwaukee Bucks kickstarted a temporary boycott by refusing to take court in wake of shooting of Jacob Blake by Kesha police officers.  29-year-old unarmed African-American was shot in back at least seven times by a police officer in Wisconsin.

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Amid ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, Jacob Blake shooting sparked mass protests in Wisconsin, which soon found its way into NBA. Bucks started boycott on August 26, which was followed  Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers. Games resumed on August 29. 

"Over last few days in our home state of Wisconsin, we've seen horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in back seven times by a police officer in Kesha, and additional shooting of protestors. Despite overwhelming plea for change, re has been action, so our focus today cant be on basketball," Bucks said in a statement. 

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"When we take court and represent Milwaukee and Wisconsin, we are expected to play at a high level, give maximum effort and hold each or accountable. We hold ourselves to that standard, and in this moment, we are demanding same from our lawmakers and law enforcement."

While several players demanded season be cancelled altoger, season did resume, as mentioned above, with NBA finals concluding last month. season only resumed after NBA promised to work with NBPA to work in society and use platform to bring awareness to social injustice issues in country.

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" NBA and its players have agreed to immediately establish a social justice coalition, with representatives from players, coaches and goverrs, that will be focused on a broad range of issues, including increasing access to voting, promoting civic engment, and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform," league said in a statement released in August. 

(Im Credits: AP)