Silver, NBA shift focus to fighting racism

Silver issued a memo to every NBA team late Sunday as nationwide protests
surrounding the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, all
of whom were black and unarmed, raged for another night.

"As a league, we share the outrage and offer our sincere condolences to their
families and friends," Silver wrote in the memo. "Just as we are fighting a
pandemic, which is impacting communities and people of color more than anyone
else, we are being reminded that there are wounds in our country that have
never healed. Racism, police brutality and racial injustice remain part of
everyday life in America and cannot be ignored. At the same time, those who
serve and protect our communities honorably and heroically are again left to
answer for those who don't."

Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James and Jayson Tatum are among
the chorus of NBA legends and current stars calling for public support to meet
the need for social change.

"This moment also requires greater introspection from those of us, including
me, who may never know the full pain and fear many of our colleagues and
players experience every day," Silver said in his memo. "We have to reach out,
listen to each other and work together to be part of the solution. And as an
organization, we need to do everything in our power to make a meaningful
difference."

--Field Level Media