Op-Ed: The NBA is Doing What the Country Should Do
By: Zachary Draves On the heels of the release of the upcoming 2022-2023 season schedule, the NBA took the unprecedented step last week by announcing that they will not schedule games for Tuesday Nov. 8, which is Election Day for the 2022 midterms. The league made it official in the following tweet: https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1559546942891474944?s=20&t=zD8diV-mvP_345JcY1r1hQ Games scheduled for Monday Nov.7 will be dedicated towards promoting civic engagement and providing fans with information and resources on the voting process. All 30 teams will be putting together plans over the next couple months on how they intend to follow through. This move is out of the ordinary considering that the NBA typically plays no games on Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve as well as during NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, but during an interview with NBC, James Cadogan, Executive Director of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, recognized that this decision was about more than basketball. "It's unusual. We don't usually change the schedule for an external event, he said. “Voting and Election Day are obviously unique and very important to our democracy." At a time when the entire House of Representatives will be contested as well as some closely watched races at the senatorial and gubernatorial level are to be decided, it has taken the NBA to remind America of a long overdue and basic concept. Election Day should be a Holiday. The United States is the one notable exception to an otherwise golden rule of democratic participation that has been embraced by the likes of Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica, Australia, and South Korea. That there is a correlation between high voter turnout and Election Day being observed as a holiday. Since the 1990s, Australia has had a staggering 90% voter turnout rate, South Korea has had a 75% turnout rate, and the U.S. has a dismal 48% turnout rate. There are also barriers in place for many Americans to be able to cast their ballots that particularly intersect with race and class. The pervasive myth of voter fraud pontificated by politicians has led to an increasing number of so called “Election Integrity” laws being implemented that are designed to make it harder for people to vote, disproportionately black and brown voters. Also there is the difficulty for many working class voters of all colors to get to the polls on time due to strict work/family/school schedules. Finally, some may find the electoral process difficult and find themselves absent of any clear information and assistance. All of which plus the absence of a federal holiday contribute to shameful voter turnouts in the largest democracy in history. As a result, the NBA is meeting the moment and looking to close those gaps this November to help people get to the polls. Given the NBA’s recent history of social activism, this should come as no surprise. During the 2020 election, NBA teams converted many of its arenas into polling locations and while they were in the bubble in Orlando due to the COVID pandemic, they use that time to amplify their voices and resources on the importance of voting. LeBron James created the More Than a Vote Initiative. Chris Paul teamed up with former First Lady Michelle Obama’s organization When We All Vote. Tobias Harris joined his fellow 76ers in the creation of VOTE 76. Harrison Barnes collaborated with Be.Woke.Vote. It remains to be seen what exactly the league and its teams will do this time around and the issues that they will put front and center. But one thing is for certain and that is the world of sports and in this case the NBA are once again pushing the country forward. Hopefully this will be a springboard in finally giving Americans the ability to cast their most sacred right of all without interference from work or baseless fearmongering. This effort can also be looked at a way to honor the legacy of Bill Russell who recently passed away. His model of athlete activism is being carried out by this action and does him justice along with retiring his #6 throughout the league. Democracy, just like basketball, is a spectator sport but one that requires all to participate as well as one that is worth protecting.   Read the full article
