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Pope Francis met with NBA players in the Vatican on Monday, hailing them as “champions” and saying he supports their work on social justice.
The five players – Marco Belinelli, Sterling Brown, Jonathan Isaac, Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver – were joined in the delegation by executive director of the NBA players’ union, Michele Roberts, and two other union leaders, Sherrie Deans and Matteo Zuretti.
“We’re here because, frankly, we’re inspired by the work you do in the world,” Roberts told the Pope at the meeting at the Papal Library.
The union said the players spoke of their “individual and collective efforts to tackle the injustice and social and economic inequalities occurring in their communities.” Belinelli addressed the Pope in Italian and the group presented the Pope with a commemorative basketball, a book produced by the union highlighting the efforts the players put in, and an Orlando Magic jersey.
“You are champions,” said the Pope. “But by also setting the example of teamwork, you have become a role model, setting this beautiful example of teamwork but always remaining humble … and preserving your own humanity.”
The hearing took place a few days before the release of a book in which François supports claims of racial justice, more specifically the measures taken after the murder of George Floyd, a black man who died in May. A Minneapolis policeman pressed a knee to his neck for minutes as Floyd said he couldn’t breathe.
“I was there to support my colleagues in their daily struggle in the United States, and not just for this,” Belinelli said later Monday on Twitter. “I also went to show that athletes have an active responsibility in society and must be dedicated to changing the things that are not working. We athletes have a very large media platform and we need to use it in a positive way to reach where institutions are lacking.
“The Pope had important words for us: we must continue to be united, to function as brothers, as a team and to set an example for the younger generations,” continued Belinelli. “The key is to stay humble. I will never forget this experience.
Roberts said Francis had requested the meeting with the players and that it “demonstrates the influence of their platforms.” Demands for social and racial justice have been paramount among players, especially in recent months after the deaths of Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among others.
Brown, in his remarks to the Pope, told him what he, Korver and the other Milwaukee Bucks went through in the NBA reboot bubble – especially when they decided not to make a playoff game against Orlando in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“It was raw and moving for our team,” Brown told the Pope.
Brown sued officials in Milwaukee after he was taken to the ground, shocked by a Taser, and arrested during a meeting with police in 2018, claiming in that trial that police used excessive force and targeted him because ‘he was black. A settlement where Brown would receive $ 750,000 plus an admission from the city that his civil rights had been violated was agreed this month.
“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 reminded us that our work has had a global impact and must continue to move forward.
The delegation did not wear masks during its papal visit. The union later said the group was to undergo a COVID-19 test before meeting with the Pope and followed other Vatican protocols. Last month, the Pope suspended his public hearings amid an outbreak of coronavirus cases in Italy and the Vatican.
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