‘The One Place Where I Know I Agree With the Governor Is That There’s Enormous Misunderstanding About This Law’ Says NBA Commissioner
The NBA Friday afternoon released a statement after Commissioner Adam Silver’s comments drew ire from those hoping the League would take action and move the 2017 All-Star game out of Charlotte, North Carolina.
“During a media availability earlier today following the NBA’s Board of Governors meeting, Commissioner Adam Silver clarified that the NBA remains deeply concerned about its ability to successfully host the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina, in light of recent legislation that discriminates against the LGBT community,” the statement reads, as Joe.My.God. reports.
“At no time did Adam affirm that the league would not move the All-Star Game; rather he stressed repeatedly that the legislation is problematic, that we feel it is best to engage with the community to work towards a solution, that change is needed and we are hopeful that it will occur.”
Except, not exactly.
During that media availability, Silver told reporters that at the board of governors meeting Friday, “There was no discussion of moving the All-Star game.” Which, of course, led most news outlets to report league owners wouldn’t even discuss moving the game, which is true.
But Silver’s other comments at the press conference are also of great concern.
“As an outsider to North Carolina right now, the one place where I know I agree with the governor is that there’s enormous misunderstanding about this law,” Silver told reporters, according to Sporting News and other outlets. The “misunderstanding” that exists exists because Gov. Pat McCrory and other Republicans are flat-out lying about what the Charlotte bill would have done, and about what HB2 does.
“I think when things settle down and legislators are together with the governor and are able to think through the implications of this law, the impact that it potentially can have on minority groups in their state, I think they will see clear to a change in the law. I’m hopeful they will.”
Perhaps, but right now there’s little hope of HB2 being repealed, which must happen. Republicans have dug themselves into a hole and refuse to climb up and out.
Silver didn’t stop there however. He’s advocating for a laissez-faire approach.
“By no means are we saying we’re stepping back,” he told reporters Friday.
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“The message is not that somehow the current state of affairs is OK for the league. Let me be clear: The current state of the law is problematic for the NBA in North Carolina. For the league office and our owners, I think the discussion was, how can we be most constructive in being part of a process that results in the kind of change that we think is necessary?”
“This notion that we set a deadline and then somehow we’re in the position to dictate to the community of North Carolina, ‘Change this or else,’ and then we were to say, ‘Fine, we’ll move on …’” Silver continued.
“We have a team that plays in Charlotte, North Carolina, and I’m not even sure what statement that would be making about that team. I think what’s next would be to say, ‘Should your team be playing in Charlotte, North Carolina?’ We have a playoff game there next week.”
Sporting News concludes that Commissioner Silver “repeatedly made clear his and the league’s position on the measure and expressed hope that change will come without an NBA ultimatum.”
In other words, they’ve stated their position, and that includes not putting any pressure on Tar Heel State lawmakers to make any change.
How is that leadership?
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Rachel Nichols (video above) takes NBA owners and Silver to task.Â
“It’s beyond me that NBA owners didn’t even deem this worthy of discussion,” she says, noting Toronto officials were expecting $100 million in spending surrounding their All-Star game. “Or, maybe they do know, and they just don’t care to do more than issue a statement,” she observes.
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Image of Adam Silver via FacebookÂ
Image of All-Star game logo via WikimediaÂ