Should sports stand for more?

KUALA LUMPUR – In an era where change is inevitable and everything is intertwined, sports has become a platform for athletes, teams and companies to take a stand on social and political issues. 

So, the question is, does sports have a place in society for what’s right?

In the Netflix documentary ‘The Last Dance’, Michael Jordan’s lack of political activism in 1990 came under fire when he responded, “republicans buy sneakers too” with regards to the Harvey Gantt v Jesse Helms case.

During the time, this was especially significant because Gantt was running against a notoriously racist opponent, and to many, the appropriate step would be to stand up against such a big bully. 

However, in June of 2020, Jordan made an announcement that he and the Jordan brand will be donating US$100 million (RM407 million) over the next ten years to improve "racial equality, social justice and greater access to education,” after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

Not one of the same but Jordan did make a public stand after three decades. 

This progressive shift can also be seen when the NBA teams boycotted the championships in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Despite being in the Disney bubble, these players made a clear and public effort to stand up for something that they believed was right.

Considering their refusal to play, were they taking a stand or merely being unreasonable?

We get yet another sense of protest when Houston Rockets’ shooting guard, James Harden, reportedly turned down a record-breaking deal with the Rockets. 

As reports did mention that it was done in the hopes that Harden would be traded to the Brooklyn Nets, it was not the only reason for such an effort.

News reports have also indicated that the real motivation behind Harden's decision was because of Houston Rockets' owner, Tilman Fertitta's support of the Trump administration.

From a personal level to a team effort, we see NBA athletes being vocal on which side of society they stand for and what they believe is right. 

Up to now, we could get away with the excuse that this is just American politics and has nothing to do with us. However, Nike Japan recently made a stand of their own.

In their recent promotional video, Nike Japan highlighted anti-bullying and promoted the ideology of accepting everyone regardless of their background or skin colour. 

With the tagline, ‘You can’t stop sports’, they highlighted how football was able to bring out the confidence of three girls from varying backgrounds who were bullied in Japan. 

As part of Asia, where does Malaysian sports stand on this spectrum of progress? Sadly, we haven’t advanced all that much from battling critics and ideas of racial segregation in sports.

At a time when other countries are fighting to overcome societal issues as a whole, Malaysia is still fighting to make sports more diverse and inclusive. 

We still have a long way to go before we are able to make a significant stand for social issues or political correctness.

Nonetheless, we remain hopeful and look forward to a day when our athletes and teams are able to stand for something more than the sports they play.  – The Vibes, 4 December, 2020