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SALT LAKE CITY — When Jae Crowder heard about the last Monday's incident between a fan and Russell Westbrook, he immediately thought of his daughter. He thought of her future and the world she was growing up in.
He wanted that world to be a better place.
“It takes you away from basketball because it is bigger than basketball,” Crowder said.
It was that attitude that caused both teams during Saturday’s Utah-Brooklyn game to warm up in shirts that featured a handshake between a black hand and a white hand and a quote that read: "You don't fight racism with racism, you fight racism with solidarity." The shirt also had “Solidarity” printed on the back.
The shirts were the result of a discussion between Crowder, Donovan Mitchell, Thabo Sefolosha, Royce O’Neale and Ekpe Udoh. They were talking about what had occurred in the place they call home and knew they needed to do something.
The idea for the shirts came up. The message of solidarity was decided on, the image was passed around the team and then Udoh knew the perfect quote to put on it.
“That quote specifically, it shows what we stand for,” Mitchell said. “It’s huge because solidarity is togetherness, being together, being united on all fronts. This particular instance was about race, but it’s all fronts.”
Crowder said that the situation has brought not just the team together, but also has strengthened the relationship between the players and the organization. The players feel heard, they feel respected, and they feel that the organization has shown a resolve to not only say the right things, but do the right thing.
“I'm blessed to be able to play for an owner like that,” Mitchell said of Jazz owner Gail Miller. “To go out there and say what she said (before Thursday’s game) and stick by it. It’s one thing to say it, but the actions that they put towards it shows that they are serious. And we are all serious about it as well.”
That quote specifically, it shows what we stand for. It’s huge because solidarity is togetherness, being together, being united on all fronts. This particular instance was about race, but it’s all fronts.
–Donovan Mitchell
The Jazz organization is serious about the issue. It’s why they have handed out two lifetime bans to fans for using racist language towards players and it’s why they worked overtime to get the shirts ready for Saturday night’s game.
And those shirts just weren’t for the players, either. Management, broadcasters, coaches, and everyone else involved in the organization wore them on Saturday.
It was a sign of respect for the players and the issue they care deeply about.
The incident has created a conversation that is bigger than basketball. And they don’t want that conversation to end once the news cycle moves on.
“I hope it brings people together and understanding our differences, appreciating our differences and having those tough conversations,” Udoh said. “... They finally see that it’s an issue and they looked in the mirror and are trying to do things about it.”
