BEVERLY HILLS, November 24, (THEWILL) – Pope Francis, the bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church met with five players of the National Basketball Association (NBA) at the Vatican on Monday.
It presented an opportunity for the parties to discuss social justice issues following a season where combating racial inequality was a dominant theme.
The NBA players at the meeting were Anthony Tolliver of the Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks’ Kyle Korver, Houston Rockets’ Sterling Brown, Orlando Magic’s Jonathan Isaac and Marco Belinelli of the San Antonio Spurs. They were joined by the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) executive director Michele Roberts.
“Today’s meeting was an incredible experience,” Memphis Grizzlies power forward Tolliver said after.
“With the Pope’s support and blessing, we are excited to head into this next season reinvigorated to keep pushing for change and bringing our communities together.”
A video of the meeting showed the players presenting the 83-year-old Pontiff with gifts that included an Orlando Magic jersey.
Roberts said the meeting validated the power of the players’ voices.
“That one of the most influential leaders in the world sought to have a conversation with them demonstrates the influence of their platforms. I remain inspired by our players’ continued commitment to serve and support our community.”
After the unfortunate death of George Floyd in May, the league and its players ramped up their calls for system-wide reforms last season and amplified the voices calling for an end to police brutality.
The season which was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic resumed inside a bio-secure bubble in Florida. Players were seen wearing social justice messages on their jerseys and the rallying cry “Black Lives Matter” was printed on the basketball courts across the League.
The new NBA regular season, a shortened 72-game slate, is scheduled to kick off on December 22.
Calendar for the 2020-21 season:
• December 11-19, 2020: Preseason games
• December 22, 2020 – March 4, 2021: First Half of regular season
• March 5-10, 2021: All-Star break
• March 11 – May 16, 2021: Second Half of regular season
• May 18-21, 2021: Play-In Tournament
• May 22 – July 22, 2021: 2021 NBA Playoffs
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
