NBA Stars Miss The Mark

PHOTO: LeBron James of the L.A. Lakers.

Last week NBA playoff games were postponed because players wanted to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of a non-fatal police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Video of the incident and the seven shots fired at Jacob Blake understandably incited people already weary of unnecessary violence.
L. A. Laker superstar LeBron James claimed that because of all the firearms in America, “We think you’re hunting us.”
(What are the chances that one might find any firearms at one of LeBron’s palatial estates?)
“We’re the ones getting killed out there,” thundered L.A. Clippers Coach Doc Rivers.
But it’s not quite that simple. Numerous police officers have also been injured and killed over the past year. Countless residents of minority neighborhoods have been killed, wounded and terrorized by criminal and gang violence, but for some reason the NBA stars only protest police over-reach.
“Systemic racism” is the new mantra by which to say that our country is messed up, ergo its institutions and citizens (us!) are messed up. But many think that the root causes of urban dystopia relate more to family breakdown and absent fathers as opposed to mean cops or ubiquitous racism.
But NBA stars don’t have the moral courage to take a stand where it might make a difference.
Does anyone else see the irony of NBA stars—multi-millionaires who have been cheered on and made wealthy by fans of all colors—protesting against law enforcement people who risk their lives to try to avert total anarchy in some really dangerous places populated largely by minorities?
And consider the reactions of the LeBrons of the world when a Houston Rocket assistant general manager made a supportive tweet concerning Hong Kong demonstrators trying to maintain some imperiled freedoms in the face of Chinese Communist thuggery and oppression. When the Chinese threatened to abrogate financial deals with the NBA, its stars were quick to side with the Communist thugs, even calling for the Rocket official to be suspended or fired and to relinquish his First Amendment rights.
I’m with those who say “All Lives Matter,” which sadly is an anathema to the “Black Lives Matter” people. BLM has been shown to be influenced by and led by Marxists and radicals hostile to an America that many generations of all races have worked to build. So seeing the NBA (and other organizations, including the Red Sox) embracing BLM just ruin pro sports for some of us.
At least for now.
As fans can’t presently go to games anyway, it’s hard to measure their disaffection with misguided stars. But check out the TV ratings.
Still, there’s still plenty of great sports stuff to get excited about, aside from the NBA and the last place Red Sox. Last week’s Weirs Times had a front page story on Benaiah Hanson, a 14-year-old Rwandan refugee and Granite Stater who loves the opportunity America gave him to excel at soccer. Such stories abound to provide us with sports joy and hope.
I’ll take Benaiahs of the world. You can have the LeBrons.

Sports Quiz
What University of Michigan football captain later became U.S. President? (Answer follows)

Born Today
That is to say sports standouts born on September 3 include longtime NBA coach Dick Motta (1931) and American snowboarder Shaun White (1986).

Sports Quote
“You want me to own a team and deal with these rich, spoiled stubborn athletes, and try to get them to perform? No thank you.” – the late Kobe Bryant (former L.A. Laker)

Sports Quiz Answer
A former Wolverine lineman, Gerald Ford was our 38th President.

Mike Moffett was a Professor of Sports Management for Plymouth State University and NHTI-Concord. He co-authored the critically-acclaimed and award-winning “FAHIM SPEAKS: A Warrior-Actor’s Odyssey from Afghanistan to Hollywood and Back” which is available through Amazon.com. His e-mail address is mimoffett@comcast.net.