By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
As a EuroLeague veteran and also the First Vice President of the ELPA (EuroLeague Players Association), Olimpia Milano center Kyle Hines looks forward to seeing his fellow players taking an active, powerful stand against racism and social injustice once the new season tips off.
“I do believe that EuroLeague and we as EuroLeague players set an example for the rest of the world on how to use our platform,” Hines told Eurohoops. The launch of the new EuroLeague season is scheduled for October 1st.
Right now EuroLeague clubs are assembling their squads and players are going through the necessary medical examinations before entering the 2020-2021 preseason. Hines’ Milano began practices on Monday (3/8) while Barcelona and Fenerbahce Beko had their first training sessions on Saturday (8/8).
When the ELPA is going to have its first official meeting in the following weeks, the subject of anti-racism and the Black Lives Matter movement is going to be brought on the table for discussion. The union will be having conversations with players’ representatives to hear their feelings and thoughts on the matter and exchange ideas on how they can express themselves through their platform.
“Over the next couple of weeks when we are going to have our formal sitdowns, this is definitely one of the topics that will be brought up,” Hines said to Eurohoops. “To discuss what type of action or how players are feeling about this specific subject of racial injustice and the Black Lives Matter movement. Just trying to get feedback from a lot of players to see how they feel about it and also how they want to use our platform as players on a global stage to make a stance against racism and against these injustices.”
The murder of George Floyd, a black man, by a policeman in Minneapolis, that sparked a flood of social justice and anti-racism demonstrations all over the USA and around of globe, happened on May 25. At that moment, most basketball competitions in Europe had already been canceled and the rest of them were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic so players that would otherwise protest during a match lacked that chance.
In the Spanish ACB League Final Phase’s opener of June 17, Barcelona players wore Black Lives Matter shirts during their warmup, following an initiative by Brandon Davies and Cory Higgins that was unanimously supported by their teammates.
“We’re going to come together team by team as a union and discuss these issues,” Hines said. “And use our global platform to speak on these issues and continue to bring awareness to these issues, which I think it’s important. As I said in the press conference (editor’s note: the official presentation by Olimpia Milano), this isn’t just a United States problem. This a global problem, a global issue.” Hines’ words echo what Phoenix Suns guard Ricky Rubio recently said on the fight against racism being a matter that involves not only one country, but the entire planet.
The NBA embraced the Black Lives Matter movement, heard the players’ voices and respected their need to protest, providing them with options and the opportunity to convey their own message against racism and social injustice during the league’s restart in Orlando.
Hines, one of the most successful U.S. players in the history of European basketball and the winningest one in EuroLeague’s modern era, hopes that apart from his peers’ individual actions, he will see something similar to the NBA taking place in the continent’s top-tier competition next season.
“I would think and I expect players that would want to do this individually anywhere – especially American players – but I would prefer it if we’re able to do it unified. In a similar manner to what you’re seeing see it’s happening in the WNBA and in the NBA.”
Photo: Olimpia Milano