NBA players, Pope Francis speaks to speak of social justice

At an unprecedented meeting, a group of five NBA players and several officials from the National Basketball Players’ Association are scheduled to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Monday morning to discuss their work on social justice issues for a private audience.

A mediator from Pope Francis approached the soldiers’ union last week, indicating that the Pope wants to know more about how soldiers have recently drawn attention to pressing social justice issues and economic inequalities, and what they plan for the future, union officials told ESPN. The union agreed to hold a private meeting with the pope and scheduled the flight overnight on Sunday, which began at 11:45 a.m. Monday at the Vatican, local time. With the training camp set to open on December 1, veterans and union officials had to hasten the trip right now.

The delegation includes Kyle Corver And Sterling Brown; Jonathan Isaac Orlando Magic; Anthony Dolliver, Secretary-Treasurer of the Association; Marco Belinelli; And Michael Roberts, Managing Director of the Players Association.

The meeting is expected to last an hour at the Apostolic Palace’s Papal Library, after which soldiers and union officials will tour St. Peter’s Square.

The players and union, in collaboration with the NBA League office, used their platform at the resumption of the NBA’s 2020 season in Orlando to draw attention to police brutality, racial injustice and other issues. Most players chose a variety of messages related to social justice – “say their names,” “equality” and “enough” – to put their numbers on the backs of their jerseys. The league and the union agreed to paint “Black Lives Matter” aside. Almost every player and coach knelt while the national anthem was played before the games.

Brown and Corver both played for the Milwaukee Bucks at the time, who decided to hold a post-season game against Orlando Magic after police shot and killed 29-year-old black man Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Bucks’ premature strike triggered a wave of such actions in several games.

Brown, who signed with the Houston Rockets over the weekend, and George Hill, Is now a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the first members of the Bucks to decide they would not play the game. Brown is the victim in a high-profile case of police brutality. In early 2018, eight Milwaukee police officers circled outside Brown Walcreens to investigate parking damage. Someone pushed Brown to the ground. Another used a taser on him. Earlier this month, Brown settled a civil rights lawsuit filed against the city of Milwaukee and its police department.

Isaac was a minister, one of the only players and coaches to stand for the national anthem during the NBA’s relaunch in Orlando.

The crowd was very quiet. The players then plan to discuss it with the media. They will return to the United States on Tuesday morning.