NBA Union Says ‘Players Can No Longer Be Silent,’ Calls for ‘Solidarity’ with Those ‘Risking Their Lives to Demand Justice’

The National Basketball Players’ Association (NBPA) is siding with the anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis, saying their players “can no longer remain silent,” accusing the efforts by law enforcement to apprehend illegal and violent criminals of sowing “division.”

The statement comes one day after the league postponed the scheduled Saturday matchup of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors after a shooting involving federal agents and an armed protester.

The man whom border agents shot has been identified as 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti.

The player’s association’s characterization of Minneapolis as a city “at the forefront of the fight against injustices” seems to be a reference to the 2020 death of George Floyd. This incident set off months of rioting across the country.

While the NBPA characterizes