When two of the NBA’s most prominent teams, the Los Angeles Lakers led by LeBron James and the Los Angeles Clippers, led by Kawai Leonard voted to boycott the remainder of the NBA playoffs to bring attention to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and a shooting of a black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that was a formidable statement for a lot of reasons. Though it does not appear that this will be the final outcome, the strong solidarity of the NBA players is certainly getting attention and based on the comments of the players it sounds like they stand ready to “have the conversation” about social issues. Unfortunately, just having “the conversation” has proved to fall woefully short of the expected change many in our American society are looking for.
In the not too recent past, Duke Basketball Coach, Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K), posted a video imploring us to say, “Black Lives Matter…. We should be saying it every day…. It’s not political. This is not a political statement. It’s a human rights statement. It’s a fairness statement.” Coach K went on to say, “No problem is solved unless you acknowledge the problem… We see [the problem]. And what do we do when we see it? We turn the other way. We don’t solve the problem. The problem will not be solved, and no problem is solved unless you acknowledge the problem. Acknowledge it. If you acknowledge it, you have the duty to solve it. We as a country have the duty to solve this problem.” He ends by saying, “Help me choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong…. We as a country have chosen the easier wrong for four centuries. It is time to choose the harder right. It is time to end systemic racism and social injustice. It’s time. Black Lives Matter.”
It is no surprise that Coach K’s feelings about the BLM movement are so closely aligned with the players in the NBA. Coach K has prepared 64 NBA Draft picks during his time at Duke. This includes 41 first-round selections and has had at least one player taken in 32 of the 39 NBA Drafts. Through the 2018-19 season, Coach K’s players have accumulated nearly $1.5 billion in NBA salaries of which, lottery selections have combined to earn approximately $1 billion, an average of nearly $50 million per player.
As Coach K said above, “The problem will not be solved, and no problem is solved unless you acknowledge the problem. Acknowledge it. If you acknowledge it, you have the duty to solve it.” The players in the NBA have certainly “Acknowledged” the problem but now, they have the “duty” to help solve it.
Just making statements or boycotting games won’t get it done. Throwing money at it is not the answer. All NBA players need to move into action and hit the problem head on once the season is over if, they choose to finish it.
One of the best ways to hit the problem head on is for ALL players to take Shaquille O’Neal’s lead and join our nations law enforcement ranks to make an immediate impact in the communities where their teams reside. I am not talking about meetings, donations, or short appearances. I am talking about going through the training and the process to become a reserve officer in local law enforcement.
There are several reasons why this approach to solving the problem makes sense and NBA Players must hold themselves accountable to make a difference during the off season when there is not public pressure to act.
The average NBA offseason has been nearly 27 weeks and for teams that go the deepest in the playoffs it has been approximately 18 weeks. During this time, by becoming a reserve officer, the players will have a direct relationship with local law enforcement and the local community simultaneously and will be able to directly impact the relationship between law enforcement and the community on a daily basis.
For these world class athletes, the requirements to become a reserve officer should not be a problem. In most local communities these requirements are similar. In Los Angeles, the requirements to become a Level III reserve officer, which is a uniformed police officer who is qualified to carry a firearm and performs various administrative functions within the Police Department and is assigned duties with area detectives and in community relations are as follows;
Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years of age.
- Must be in good physical and mental health with no disabling physical condition.
- Must possess a valid California Class C driver’s license.
- Must not have a history of criminal or improper personal conduct that may affect suitability for police work.
- Must possess a United States high school diploma or GED equivalent.
- Must be a United States citizen or have applied for citizenship.
Examination
- Preliminary Background Application and Job Preview Questionnaire.
- Personal Qualifications Essay
- Background Investigation and Polygraph Examination
- Department Interview
- Medical Evaluation and Psychological Evaluation
- Physical Abilities Test (Treadmill)
- Certification and Appointment
Training
- Four-hour blocks, twice a week, on weeknights
- Eight-hour blocks, on Saturday or Sunday
- Level III reserve officers also receive approximately 26 hours of basic self-defense, including wrist locks, twist locks, kicks and other techniques at the lower end of the Department’s Use of Force scale. Physical fitness exercises are used to prepare for self-defense training.
Committing to the local communities where the NBA players play cannot be timelier. Across the United States, police departments are confronting a recruitment crisis. 86 percent of police chiefs nationwide reported a shortage of sworn officers, with nearly half stating that the shortage has worsened. NBA players must lean in on this and put themselves right between the two segments of society that are directly involved in the social issue clash.
NBA hall of famer Shaquille O’Neal has been a reserve officer for several police departments in Florida, an honorary deputy for the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and in Clayton County, Georgia. O’Neal said, “This is not about politics for me…It’s something that I always wanted to do. It’s just about bringing people closer together. When I was coming up, people loved and respected the police, the deputies, and I want to be the one to bring that back, especially in the community that I serve.”
NBA players must help and “choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong…. We as a country have chosen the easier wrong for four centuries. It is time to choose the harder right. It is time to end systemic racism and social injustice. It’s time. Black Lives Matter.” NBA players need to get up close and personal with the two sides directly and there is no better way than to do their part to protect and serve those in their communities by joining local law enforcement.