Several NBA players met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Monday to discuss their efforts to address social and economic injustice, the National Basketball Players’ Association (NBPA) said in a release.
After the Vatican reached out to the players’ union to learn about their work for social change, a delegation that included San Antonio Spurs wing Marc Belinelli, Houston Rockets wing Sterling Brown, Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac, Memphis Grizzlies forward Anthony Tolliver and Milwaukee Bucks sharpshooter Kyle Korver traveled to meet the pope.
After the meeting in the papal library of the Apostolic Palace, Tolliver called it an “incredible experience.”
“With the Pope’s support and blessing, we are excited to head into this next season reinvigorated to keep pushing for change and bringing our communities together,” he said in a statement released by the NBPA.
Korver, a 17-year NBA veteran who wrote a powerful essay about racism and white privilege last year, echoed Tolliver’s sentiment after meeting with the pope.
“We are extremely honored to have had this opportunity to come to the Vatican and share our experiences with Pope Francis,” Korver said. “His openness and eagerness to discuss these issues was inspiring and a reminder that our work has had a global impact and must continue moving forward.”
NBPA executive director Michele Roberts, who also attended the meeting, said their time with the pope “validates the power of our players’ voices.”
“That one of the most influential leaders in the world sought to have a conversation with them demonstrates the influence of their platforms,” she said. “I remain inspired by our players’ continued commitment to serve and support our community.”
The gathering comes ahead of the December 1 release of Francis’ new book, “Let Us Dream: The Path to A Better Future” (published by Simon & Schuster, a division of ViacomCBS). In it, Francis supports demands for racial justice in the wake of the police-custody death of George Floyd, a Black man.
Last season, NBA and WNBA players wore jerseys with social justice messages and used their voices to call out racial inequality after several police shootings and killings of Black people. Following the Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin, Bucks players walked out during a playoff game and inspired athletes and teams across other sports to also boycott games.
