Aside from the health and safety concerns, one of the biggest apprehensions about resuming the NBA season had to do with whether it might distract from the Black Lives Matter movement that had swept across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police.
In the end, the NBA opted to return, but with emphasis on using its platform and its influence to bring awareness to the ongoing fight for social reform. Since scrimmages began, several players have used their postgame availability to call for justice for Breonna Taylor, and on opening night Thursday, all four teams, along with coaches, referees, and team personnel, took a knee during the national anthem to advocate for change.
Many players have also ponied up considerable sums of cash to put toward various causes that are geared toward helping minorities and other disenfranchised groups. Kyrie Irving, for instance, has pledged $1.5 million to help provide financial support for WNBA players who are opting out the wubble in order to continue fighting for the cause.
Now, Kings forward Harrison Barnes and his wife Brittany have announced that they will donate $200,000 of their own money to various non-profit initiatives. Here’s more from the official press release:
With the Kings playing 8 games during the official restart to the season, Barnes will dedicate every game to a different organization by contributing $25K to the nonprofit and highlighting their mission on his social media.
Since breaking into the NBA, Barnes has been known for his altruistic efforts in supporting the Black community. As all eyes return to basketball this week, the Barnes’ are utilizing this time to put the spotlight on organizations that are dedicated to helping fight racial injustice and support those who have been victims of police brutality.
These are the eight organizations that the Barnes will donate to: the Trayvon Martin Foundation, the Botham Jean Foundation, the Atatiana Project, Mothers Against Police Brutality, the Michael Brown Foundation, the Tamir Rice Foundation, the Jordan Davis Foundation, and the African American Policy Reform (#SayHerName campaign).