Delivering on its promise of inclusiveness and togetherness, the National Basketball Association (NBA) showed its support for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual community (LGBT) by taking part in the annual New York City Pride march on Sunday (Monday in Manila).
Led by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, a group of NBA employees took to the streets of the Big Apple and wore “#OrlandoUnited” T-shirts to show their support for victims of the gruesome attack at a gay night club earlier this month.
.@NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum & NBA employees march in the #NYCPride Parade! pic.twitter.com/xKF6jN6Mv4
— NBA Cares (@nbacares) June 26, 2016
NBA/WNBA – FIRST professional league to march & have a float in PRIDE Parade, NYC!!
— WNBAPrez (@WNBAPrez) June 26, 2016
The NBA and WNBA also paraded their own float during the event and were represented by retired players Jason Collins and Sue Wicks. The former publicly announced he was gay when he was an active player in 2013, while the latter came out as a lesbian in 2002 while playing for the New York Liberty.
Photo taken from NBA Cares’ Twitter feed
The gesture is all part of the NBA Cares initiative, which focuses on “addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world,” according to an ESPN report.
Former NBA Commissioner David Stern publicly supported gay rights during his tenure but it was his successor who took it one step further by actually gracing the event.
Silver has also suggested that the league move its scheduled All-star festivities from Charlotte, North Carolina, next year due a controversial bill considered discriminatory toward the LGBT community. Khristian Ibarrola/rga