All game-worn NBA jerseys from the opening weekend of the 2019-20 NBA restart will be placed up for auction Wednesday afternoon with proceeds going to the newly created Players’ Justice Fund, a source told ESPN’s The Undefeated.
NBA players were allowed to wear customized jerseys featuring selected social justice messages agreed upon by the league and the National Basketball Players’ Association during the first four days of the resumed season that began July 29. Such messages included “Black Lives Matter,” “I Am A Man,” “Vote” and “How Many More,” as well as messages in languages chosen by international players. The hope from the NBA and NBPA was to make a statement addressing systematic racism and social injustice and bring awareness to other world issues during the current social justice movement.
Around 20 players, including NBA All-Stars LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, chose not to wear a social justice message on their jerseys. Those jerseys will also be a part of the auction, a source said.
The auction begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. on Auctions.NBA.com. All proceeds of the auction will be placed in the newly created Players’ Justice Fund, which will be administered by the NBPA Foundation. A Players’ Justice Fund Advisory Committee, with players selected by their peers, will review funding proposals, develop program ideas and make recommendations for funding to the NBPA Foundation’s Board of Directors.
Money raised from the auction is expected to be given to a diverse group of local and national community-based organizations as part of the NBA’s recently announced long-term commitment to drive the push for social justice and economic empowerment in Black communities in America and Canada.
