NBA Players Wear Shooting Shirts Encouraging Fans To Vote
Sep 15, 2020, 5:19 PM | Updated: 5:21 pm
Jayson Tatum and Daniel Theis warmup in vote shooting shirts (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – NBA players whose teams have qualified for the Conference Finals are encouraging fans to vote. Before the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat faced off in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals, both teams wore shooting shirts with the word “Vote” printed in large letters on the front.
NBA players have used the league’s restart platform in Orlando to spread their message regarding social injustice in light of the several high profile police killings across the country in recent years. Players have worn messages on the backs of their jerseys throughout the final eight seedings games and plan to sport the “Vote” warmup shirts through the remainder of the postseason according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
“NBA players will debut new warm-up shirts displaying “VOTE” for the remainder of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals and 2020 NBA Finals,” Charania tweeted.
NBA players will debut new warm-up shirts displaying “VOTE” for the remainder of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals and 2020 NBA Finals.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 15, 2020
Franchises Committed to Making Voting Easier
After the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted a first-round playoff game in the light of the shooting of Jacob Blake, the playoff teams remaining in the NBA bubble opted to sit out games until team owners made a larger commitment to social justice.
After a brief hiatus, league owners agreed to work with their local communities to transform NBA properties into voting locations for November’s national election.
“In every city where the league franchise owns and controls the arena property, team governors will continue to work with local elections officials to convert the facility into a voting location for the 2020 general election to allow for a safe in-person voting option for communities vulnerable to COVID,” A release from the NBA and the league Players Association stated. “If a deadline has passed, team governors will work with local elections officials to find another election-related use for the facility, including but not limited to voter registration and ballot receiving boards.”
The NBA players association agree to return to action Saturday after these commitments from the league and its owners. pic.twitter.com/Pgo00kP7y1
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) August 28, 2020
Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller committed to making Vivint Arena in downtown Salt Lake City, Megaplex Luxury Theatres at Cottonwood in Holladay, Megaplex Theatres at The District in South Jordan, and Megaplex Theatres at Jordan Commons in Sandy polling locations for the election.
Utahns must register to vote by Oct. 23, and information on voter status is available here. Voters can choose to vote by mail or in-person during early voting periods or on election day — Nov. 3.
