Boycotting the @NBA games To Effect Change is premature and an ineffective Strategy

NBA players decided not to play last night thereby creating huge opportunities for RNC2020 viewership. But, how does boycotting the @NBA games affect #police vigilante shootings of #blackmen. This is so premature and an ineffective solution that is reactive and soft and only affects the players, the nba and black and black friendly fans ultimately. Think about it, what does this do but result into millions of dollars lost and loss of therapy-opportunity. Yes NBA basketball and sports is therapy for some in a world gone MAD. #Nba stars have a huge platform because they play @NBA basketball so that you can use it to fight for #BlackLivesMatter and other issues involving “Abuse of Power”. But the same sport that gave you voice you boycott as if that’s gonna do anything to stem “systemic” #policeviolence. That’s a reactive move. 

The RNC was on TV too and GOP members, fans and leaders and “wide” readers were following the convention. Your move to not play limited my choice of what to watch last night. Indeed, What you did was to create more viewers for the golf or fox or news channels. It didn’t affect the people it needed to as they were watching golf and the GOP convention last night so only the “choir” couldn’t watch the games last night. So now that there was no nba we tuned into the GOP convention or Netflix. I’m rambling on here but to get back to the main point. 

Police violence is systemic and requires the power of their (stardom) to influence not boycotting a game as if that helps. They need to work together and use their stardom in more deliberate thoughtful and constructive ways. LeBron James and other athletes have the right idea when they formed #protectmyvote a movement or organization working to get all Americans and those affected by systemic abuse or police violence involved in the electoral process so as to help replace ineffective leaders who are directly of indirectly facilitating this constant violence by police. This is the kind of solution that affect systemic issues not reactionary moves that loses money for you and a valuable leisure time required by a community that’s depressed and decompressed. 

We must always do a “cost-benefit-analysis” and find the solution that’s best. #Boycotting was premature and a bad solution. People are crying and hurting #basketball provides an oasis. Basketball is a black sport yet you boycott it. But that’s the problem with  solutions and strategy we get comfortable with our efforts saying it’s a start or it’s something when that thing is ineffective or placate the issue with no real affect or it affects you and me more than the  intended idea. That’s the point. I’m not against anything I’m against something soft and something that Blacks and the choir enjoys. When you decided to boycott it’s not effective because your people watch the sport and you benefit from it. The NBA does not abuse. The NBA sport does not hurt it brings people together and facilitate wealth for those who did not have it at first so that now you can fight for others. NBA provides a platform for you to speak loudly. So why boycott. 

Some may disagree like Gavin Grant who argues: Renaldo C. Mckenzie I disagree with your thoughts that it's ineffectibe. And I disagree with your cost-benefit analysis. E.g. I believe that people who were going to tune into the RNC would have done so anyway. Protest is not the only piece of strategy and protest is typically reactive because it is quicker to organize in response to something that just happened. Can't develop a comprehensive strategy in one day. 

I responded: Gavin R. Grant well let’s see where this goes and who is affected and what change or reform it brings. We’ve been at it for months and here we are yet again with another killing. I would like to see the NBA stars create a powerful voice or group whose aim is to provide a powerful and effective and organized lobby group that will think strategically to lobby or apply direct pressure to police politicians and our governments. Use your money and time to do so. We didn’t have months of basketball due to the COVID-19 and simultaneously there was mass protest regarding #GeorgeFloyd Murder by Police. That’s was right after police had shot and killed #breannataylor who was sitting peacefully in her home. And after #GeorgeFloyd and the #BLM protests and promise of change we had another brutal and unlawful police shooting killing #TrayfordPellerin in Lafayette last week and while talking about that #Police shot #JacobBlake in the back paralyzing him and defending their violence saying that it looked as if he had a weapon like a knife or may have been going for something not sure yet seven cops walked behind him and killed him. Yet we think by just being reactive and willynilly concocting a boycott of a predominantly black sport enjoyed by viewers who already support BLM that this will send a message to stop police violence. Oh so Naive.  

Gavin replied: Renaldo C. Mckenzie  I agree with you on that. We just have to see where it goes. I actually hope players do more protests. One won't cut it. We need institutions like the NBA to do a lot more.

I concluded: Gavin R. Grant It was awesome discussing this with you. I understand your point and those who disagree but I hope you understand my point about the efficacy of the strategy and the losses that will be borne by the same people who are already hurting from police abuse. 

Note: Great News!! Hours after my post, news broke: Breaking: #NBA  players decide to resume #playoffs.