Tomorrow when NBA fans tune in to Christmas Day games like a rematch of the 2015 finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and our defending champion Golden State Warriors, they'll see some of their favorite players in a bit of a different light. In a new PSA airing during breaks in the action, heroes like Steph Curry, Joakim Noah, and Carmelo Anthony, men who may seem fearless on the court, reveal that they're as frightened and horrified by American gun violence as anyone else.
"I have a voice and I want to share it and stop gun violence in its entirety," says Curry in the PSA. "I heard about a shooting involving a 3-year-old girl over the summer. My daughter Riley's that age," added Curry. "I have a voice, and I want to share it and stop gun violence in its entirety."
The Hollywood Reporter explains that the ads are directed and were devised by Spike Lee, the filmmaker whose work, most recently Chi-Raq, deals heavily with such violence.
The New York Times writes that Lee approached NBA commissioner Adam Silver through ESPN, who in turn involved the Players Association. The ads were then created in partnership with non-profit Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund — the charity associated with gun safety legislation advocates Everytown for Gun Safety, a group founded by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.
“The public service announcement airing during our Christmas Day games highlights victims’ and a few of our players’ experiences with gun violence and is solely intended to raise awareness about the issue of personal safety in our communities,” said NBA's chief spokesperson, an attempt to emphasize that no specific policies are advocated by the PSA.
But Curry, for one, does want to make a difference. “I’m doing this PSA because I think it can be changed,” CBS SF quotes the player. “It’s heartbreaking, it’s disappointing for each of those families to have to go through that unimaginable pain. It’s affecting the culture, tone and temperature of the country — right in my backyard, right where Oracle Arena is, right where we play.”
One basketball fan was particularly moved.
I'm proud of the @NBA for taking a stand against gun violence. Sympathy for victims isn't enough - change requires all of us speaking up.
— President Obama (@POTUS) December 23, 2015
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