This archive report was first published on 31 July 2020.
July 30, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, USA; The NBA returned to action after a 140-day hiatus, with players and coaches from various teams taking a knee and wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts during the national anthem.
Coaches and game officials joined players from the Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, and Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers in the protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
Black Lives Matter was also written on the courts at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, where the NBA plans to finish its season with 22 teams inside a bio-secure bubble.
"The game of basketball has always been bigger than just the ball, the rim, 10 guys on the floor and referees," said Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James after hitting the game-winning shot in his team's 103-101 win over the Clippers.
James emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum in the fight against systemic racism, saying, "We want to keep our foot on the gas."
Some players had messages like "Equality," "Education Reform," and "Say Their Names" on the backs of their jerseys in place of their names.
Athletes from around the world have united behind anti-racism protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a Black man in police custody in Minneapolis in May.
