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Several members of the Golden State Warriors — All-Stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Defensive Player of the Year candidate Draymond Green, veteran guard Shaun Livingston and head coach Steve Kerr — appear in a new public service announcement, produced in partnership with the Oakland-based nonprofit Not In Our Town, aimed at addressing the problems of "physical, verbal and cyberbullying."
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"Bullying should never be tolerated," says Green in the brief spot, which premiered Thursday.
"Not on our ground," adds Thompson.
"Not in our town," says Curry.
In connection with the PSA, the Warriors and Not In Our Town are encouraging fans to take a pledge to "stand up to all forms of hate, bigotry and bullying" in their communities, helping create safe, inclusive environments for people from all backgrounds, both in the Bay Area and beyond.
The issue of bullying has not often been a major part of NBA discussion, but it has come to the forefront at times in recent years. Back in 2011, then-Phoenix Suns swingmen Grant Hill and Jared Dudley teamed with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network for a similar spot decrying the use of anti-gay language among teens:
The league also sent an anti-hazing memorandum to all 30 NBA teams in November 2013, in the aftermath of the locker-room scandal surrounding then-Miami Dolphins offensive linemen Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin. The NBA memo clearly forbid, among other things, "any physical abuse or threats of violence; verbal abuse focused on an individual’s race, nationality, color, gender, age, religion, sexuality, etc.; destruction, defacement or theft of a fellow player’s personal property; engaging in any activity that intimidates or threatens fellow players with ostracism or inflicts extreme mental stress, embarrassment, humiliation or shame; and forcing an individual to engage in any activity or perform any task that violates federal, state or local law or NBA rules and regulations." (Some vestiges of so-called "rookie hazing" still persist, however.)
Multiple NBA voices, from players like LeBron James and Amir Johnson to Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, spoke out in opposition to locker-room bullying or hazing at that time. Others, such as the Suns' Gerald Green, have continued to connect with their communities, finding common ground with fans by sharing their own stories of being bullied or ostracized as youths.
On one hand, such interactions help make clear just how damaging exclusionary behavior or language can be, even for those who possess the kinds of gifts and skills that many others envy. On the other, they can also help show young people that it's possible to not only survive such treatment, but thrive and go on to accomplish great things.
Efforts like these PSAs might not lead to a mass abandonment of the sort of ill-considered cruelty that can cut to the bone. If they get even a small portion of those who watch to think twice about how their words and actions affect others, though, that seems like a pretty powerful tool, and a pretty worthwhile way for those who've risen to wealth and fame to deploy their power and prominence.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
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