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Sports InsiderThe NBA Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
January 22nd 2008 12:30
The Trail Blazers standing on the same court where Dr. King played basketball. (Image from espn.com)
Today was a very significant holiday in the United States: it’s the day when they celebrate a key figure in American history – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The influence of the great man can be seen all around in the NBA with the dominance of African-Americans in the sport, and how they are widely admired, accepted and emulated. Players in the NBA should never forget his legacy.
For Theo Ratliff, the centre for the Minnesota Timberwolves, MLK Day has an extra special pertinence because he grew up in Alabama, with his mother and uncle marching with Dr. King in the Selma march in 1965.
“My family was a big part of that, that whole movement…It always had a big part in our lives, remembering the struggles. My mom told me about that.” (Youngblood, Star Tribune, 2008)
The Portland Trail Blazers also embraced the day by visiting Dr. King’s birth home in Atlanta and the YMCA where he learnt how to play basketball. Blazers star, Brandon Roy for one shining moment envisioned what it must have been like to be Dr. King.
“To see the house where he was born, and to go to the gym where he played some hoop was kind of cool," Roy said. “It's like you get to walk in his shoes for a minute, which is a great moment, especially for us being African American males. Because of a lot of the things we are able to do today are things he fought for.” (Quick, The Oregonian, 2008)
Portland’s director of player programs, Chris Bowles tries to schedule excursions that will enhance the understanding of the world for his players. Coincidentally, Portland were in Atlanta for MLK Day, with Bowles taking the Blazers players on a trip that would further enliven their minds, and spirits with an education on black history.
Perhaps we should leave the final word for Brandon Roy who sums up Dr. King’s legacy perfectly: “I've got good friends that are all different races, and it's all because he fought for those things. He didn't fight for one race to be more than another. He fought for everybody to be equal. That's the thing that I really respect.” (Adande, ESPN, 2008)
Today’s video is of various NBA players stating what MLK Day means to them.
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