“Hats off, hats off to those guys. I think it starts with those guys. They’re our leaders of our league, and um, they set the tone last night. Now it’s time for guys like us to fall in line to figure out what we can do to help our communities. . . .”~Rajon Rondo, guard for the Chicago Bulls
A few weeks ago, four athletes–or in their own words, four African American men–from various teams within the NBA opened the ESPYs by making a plea. Their plea was to their fellow professional athletes from all the leagues–MLB, NHL, NFL, MLS, MLL, WNBA, USNWT, LPGA, PGA–and all races to educate themselves and speak out against the social injustices stemming from violence in society.
These four men–LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwayne Wade–let their peers know that despite the ESPYs being a celebration of all of their feats that had happened in the past year there was a larger call on each and everyone of their lives.
Enter in Rajon Rondo. Although Rondo just recently joined the Chicago Bulls, Rajon had already started mentoring 10 middle school boys and not in the realm of basketball but in the journey we know as life. Rondo credits having mentors in life for his success and states he feels obligated to be a mentor.
While Rondo, LeBron, Carmelo, Chris and Dwayne have all voiced their opinions, their sisters-in-arms aka WNBA players have begun to answer the call. However, their protests were met with police officers leaving their security details and fines being levied against the ladies by the League.
Source: The Fumble
The WNBA eventually retracted the fines. However, it’s disappointing that the WNBA felt it necessary to even levy the fines in the first place. These women were answering the call their fellow NBA brothers presented at the ESPYs. They decided to take a stand, and their league balked at the opportunity to stand with them like its brother league, the NBA.
It begs the question once again about a women’s role within the sports world. Is she just suppose to be a pretty face with some athletic ability? Is she just a side entertainer and not someone who is to be taken seriously for her abilities, thoughts, values and beliefs?
Funny that women are given the most important task of raising mankind but on the basketball court her opinion does not matter in regards to the matters society faces. Is that not simple hypocrisy? The men in the NBA took to the court in protest without the slapping of fines. Why then fine these ladies? Thankfully, it did not stop them.
A woman is the reason why each one of us exist. So, why should she not take a stand against the violence she sees in the world? That violence touches her child(ren) directly or indirectly. Is protesting not ladylike? If that is true, who wants to be ladylike? The ladies of the suffrage era evidently did not feel it necessary to be ladylike, and neither should the ladies in the WNBA.
The WNBA needs to become more proactive in furthering society’s steps toward a more enlightened future. The League does great work, but there is more that it can be do to be a guiding force. For starters, the League can stand behind its women for taking a stance for what they believe in and not cowering to outside forces like the police. These ladies, aka female professional basketball players, of the WNBA know the difference between right and wrong. They also know everyone has some form of responsibility for the blood shed we see in streets of our cities just like the men of the NBA or any other league.
Because if she was a boy, she would hold everyone accountable for their actions without fear of retaliation.