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

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

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NBA Social Justice Coalition Board

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

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

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

"Over the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin, we've seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, and the additional shooting of protestors. Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball," the Bucks said in a statement. 

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

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

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"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," the league said in a statement released in August. 

(Image Credits: AP)