How has this past year of civil unrest in this country changed the MBA?

Mhm.

Well, I think what we learned from the players is their strength and numbers.

You know, Rachel, you were with me in the bubble and seeing those social justice jerseys and black lives matter on the court.

Um, seeing the three day revolution in which the players decided not to play.

And that allowed, uh, most of the NBA arenas to be turned into polling stations that I think definitely had an impact on the election.

Certainly in Georgia, I mean, they certainly show that they have strength.

And I hope the players don't forget to use that strength, whether it is forgetting mortgage, GM's or more coaches.

And then also, you know, now we're seeing with the Memphis Grizzlies, I think, in terms of honor and MLK, no one has done it better for them.

They had symposium and a celebration for 19 years.

Now that I've been blessed to be a part off, I got to interview Jarron Jackson this time around, and he's been really, really big on voting, and I expect him to be in the future.

Also, during this time during those visits had a chance to go to the National Civil Rights Museum, which, if you haven't been it's It certainly is a very impactful place.

And and the one thing that stood out to me, of all the things that have stood out to me, is towards the entrance.

Uh, you see from Global Impact slavery had from 16 1918 61 and a depiction of what it was like for Africans to be basically squeezed to the bottom of the slave ships and brought Thio the Americas Mhm.

You know the thing about when you watch these athletes and you watch this day, we have to remember it.

It's not just today.

It's every day in the black community for these people to see what's going on and to recognize that and just and to try to even the playing field sort of say and And I love the fact that these players now have the platform to speak their mind, to say what they want to say, because when we play, we wanted to say stuff, but we were a little too afraid to say some because you could get blackball and you could not play and you wanted to provide for your family.

So you have a better future.

But now these guys, they're stepping up and saying We don't care.

We're gonna use our platform because now you see it.

There's a magnifying glass on us.

So now when you say something bad, they're gonna see it.

We say something good, they're going to see it so that when I say that it means the people of the world because of social media.

And it's such a great feeling for me tow, watch each and every guy in the NBA step up and try toe, have a voice and try to say, Hey, if this is wrong, this is right and just try to bring this world together because right now we have a lot of issues with social justice.

The cove in 19.

So I'm just Today is a proud day for me to see these people step up, and I got to say this Atlanta send you one of those Juries.

I love E.

There is no doubt, and look, things have changed.

Robert, since you were playing the league first of all the salaries, endorsement money has gone up.

So if you do get quote blackballed by one sponsor or one team that is not enlightened, you have other ways to take care of your family.

But also, as Mark pointed out, strengthened numbers.

Man, you had some of the biggest stars in the MBA when Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony stood up on that s P stage and said, We challenge all athletes out there.

This is a priority to stand up for the people who are not being spoken for on.

And I think that really unleashed an incredible sense of ownership from these young MBA players.

We have an incredible crop of under 25 players in the MBA who do for their communities before they even do for themselves and really again, You have some of the elite players in the league taking a lead in it.

In fact, Steven Jackson just let the cat out of the bag.

The Kyrie Irving has bought a house for the family of George, Floyd, Floyd and Stephen, of course, close friends growing up together in South Texas.

Fiz.

We've seen Kyrie be a leader you can.

There's a lot going on with Kyrie Irving right now, but it should not escape anyone's attention.

He has been a leader in this fight for social justice, and we've seen several other players step up.

If you were advising some of the young players in the league, what do you think comes next for them?

What can they do with this power that they now know they have?

Well, I think you just got to continue to utilize your platform toe, elevate the community's issues right and really start thinking about law, changing right and start getting into what is the root of the problem and and the bottom line is what everybody's asking for us.

Can we get toe a basic set of laws that everyone can live by so that no one's dying unnecessarily?

I mean, I don't think that's a big ass when you really think about it, and I think the players just have to continue to keep that pressure on with the connection to the community and pushing that forward and bringing using a platform to do it.

You know, I was in that situation in Memphis when it wasn't popular and We were trying to get down statues of Nathan Bedford Force and, uh, Jefferson Davis, and I was feeling like Robert said, Should I do this right with your first head coaching first head coaching job?

I'm a young black coach.

Well, well, I suffer for this Cap was just starting to kneel and stuff like that.

And I have to do it because this is the home of Dr King and now you're starting to see Corporate is getting behind these young people.

And that's what's really pushing it over.

The hump is that the corporate world is supporting our basketball guys and really started to put pressure on all of these folks.

Look at what happened with the Redskins, right?

That was a corporate push.

Absolutely change that name.

And now what you're saying is players are starting to recognize we've got a lot of power here and there, using it the right way, and they got to keep that pressure going.

Mark, what do you think is next for MBA players?

Well, I hope they keep the education going to fizz for what he did in Memphis and what he did in New York.

That's the standpoint But, you know, I remember talking to a young star player.

I'll just say that last year and asked him about Martin Luther King and he said, You know, he really did a lot of good things that he was important American on Get crushed me to hear a young black man say that.

So I think there needs, uh, don't depend on the schools.

There needs to be Mawr education at home.

All he learned about was MLK and Rosa Parks and Malcolm when he was in school.

But I implored players and all parents to show their kids eyes on the prize.

Like my mom, let me see in the center the American Center and and see the movie Selma and read up on Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders because they're just so much to learn that I don't think that way should depend on the schools to teach education reform.

You hear Donovan Mitchell talking about it all the time.