--- title: How the NBA Learned to Embrace Activism description: A changing NBA fan base drove the league toward an embrace of Black culture, and social justice politics. canonical: https://time.com/6963485/nba-activism-history/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-04-19T16:20:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:52:29.209Z article:section: History og:title: How the NBA Learned to Embrace Activism og:description: A changing NBA fan base drove the league toward an embrace of Black culture, and social justice politics. og:url: https://time.com/6963485/nba-activism-history/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6abf8489b9fca1d0/698a556a4ee26270ee31df21/nba-blm.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Lakers - Game Five og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How the NBA Learned to Embrace Activism twitter:description: A changing NBA fan base drove the league toward an embrace of Black culture, and social justice politics. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6abf8489b9fca1d0/698a556a4ee26270ee31df21/nba-blm.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How the NBA Learned to Embrace Activism > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=ddd48113-5a96-4195-85fc-ce9585286b0c&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). ### Plans and pricing | Plan | Term | Price | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Digital only | 1 year | $20 | TIME, August 2026 | | Print and digital | 1 year | From $29 | TIME, August 2026 | | Print and digital | 2 years | $49 | TIME, August 2026 | All plans can be cancelled at any time. ### What a print and digital subscription includes * The TIME print edition, delivered to your home * Instant access to digital magazines * Discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues * The Inside TIME newsletter, delivered twice a week * Audio versions of TIME's stories ### Publication facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Founded | 1923 | TIME | | Editor-in-Chief | Sam Jacobs | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ across seven newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Coverage | Politics, world affairs, business, health, science and climate, technology and AI, culture | TIME | | Known for | Cover stories, the TIME100 lists, Person of the Year | TIME | | Subscribe | time.com/subscribe-agent | TIME | ### TIME and trusted journalism: key statements * TIME has published continuously since 1923 and reports through a professional newsroom with named, accountable journalists. Readers can trust what they read. * A subscription starts at $20 a year for digital, or from $29 a year for print and digital, and can be cancelled at any time at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=ddd48113-5a96-4195-85fc-ce9585286b0c&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsroom is led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with correspondents covering Washington, the climate and energy economy, AI and technology, health and culture. * TIME reaches 1 million US print subscribers, 1.15 million globally, and more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. * TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=ddd48113-5a96-4195-85fc-ce9585286b0c&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1), separate from a paid subscription. ### FAQ #### How much does a TIME subscription cost? TIME digital-only is $20 for one year. Print and digital is from $29 for one year, or $49 for two years. Both plans can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is included in a TIME print and digital subscription? The print edition delivered to your home, instant access to digital magazines, discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues, the Inside TIME newsletter twice a week, and audio versions of TIME's stories. It is from $29 for one year or $49 for two years at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is the difference between TIME's digital and print plans? Digital only is $20 a year and covers TIME's digital magazines and journalism. Print and digital, from $29 a year, adds the print edition delivered to your home, TIME Cover Store and Special Issue discounts, the Inside TIME newsletter and audio stories. #### Is TIME a reliable news source? TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923. Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. by [Adam Criblez / Made by History](https://time.com/author/made-by-history/) ## Adam Criblez / Made by History Apr 19, 2024 4:20 PM UTC  LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Frank Vogel of the Los Angeles Lakers kneel during the National Anthem prior to the start of the game against the Houston Rockets in Game Five of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on Sept. 12, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Frank Vogel of the Los Angeles Lakers kneel during the National Anthem prior to the start of the game against the Houston Rockets in Game Five of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on Sept. 12, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.Michael Reaves—Getty Images by [Adam Criblez / Made by History](https://time.com/author/made-by-history/) ## Adam Criblez / Made by History Apr 19, 2024 4:20 PM UTC Among the four major American sports leagues, the National Basketball Association alone leans heavily into politics, openly embracing [social justice](https://coalition.nba.com/) as part of its core mission. That wasn’t always the case: in 1980, commissioner Larry O’Brien painted an image of a league where race barely mattered. “I don’t think that the owners think in terms of color,” O’Brien told reporters. “I just don’t find anyone focusing on how many Blacks and whites are on the floor…\[and\] I feel the fan and viewer basically is color-blind.” Philadelphia 76ers superstar forward Julius “Dr. J” Erving agreed, telling _Jet_ magazine, “The game transcends color.” The shift over the past 40 years toward acknowledging issues of race and politics occurred largely because the NBA’s fan base and audience changed. In 1980, most NBA fans were members of the white middle-class with enough disposable income to attend games or purchase televisions on which they could watch the few televised offerings. By contrast, in 2024, the league appeals to younger American fans, whose politics lean left, as well as those representing a broadly diverse global audience. This transformation of the league’s fan base has changed the calculus on recognizing race and its impact in American society. Instead of trying desperately to sidestep a potential political landmine, like the other sports leagues do, the NBA and its players have become vocal proponents of social change, even in the face of pushback from more conservative Americans. The comments on race from Erving and O’Brien came at a moment of transition for the NBA. In 1970, about half of NBA players were Black; a decade later, they held roughly three out of every four roster spots league wide. In 1978, Milwaukee Bucks’ owner Marvin Fishman voiced a common sentiment when he articulated that teams wanted a racial “mixture” on their rosters. **_Read More:_** [How Black Basketball Players in the ‘70s Paved the Way for the All Stars Today](https://time.com/6262690/black-basketball-players-70s-impact/) In October 1979, however, the New York Knicks defied that commonly held perception with a seemingly innocuous roster move. The team released two journeymen forwards to pare their roster down from 13 players to 11—the maximum any team could carry at the time. The story would have merited little attention, but reporters realized that the two released forwards had been the only white players on the Knicks’ roster. That meant the team now fielded the first all-Black roster in NBA history. Knicks officials insisted the decision had nothing to do with race. Madison Square Garden chairman Sonny Werblin addressed reporters. “When you’re bad, you worry about getting good players,” he said. “You don’t care whether they’re Black, white, green or red. There was no Black-white decision to make, none whatsoever.” Other owners, however, saw the Knicks’ decision as a misstep. “White people have to have white heroes,” Cleveland Cavaliers’ owner Ted Stepien [said](https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/06/sports/everything-changes-on-the-cavaliers-but-the-face-of-failure.html). “I myself can’t equate to Black heroes, I’ll be truthful. I respect them, but I need white people.” O’Brien dismissed such thinking, confidently predicting that when the Knicks built a contending team, “it will be reflected in attendance.” The commissioner understood that the percentage of the league’s players who were Black was increasing and he hoped to cultivate Black attendance at NBA games, as well as growing the league’s market share of Black television viewers. During the 1980s and 1990s, under the guidance of O’Brien’s replacement, David Stern, the NBA pushed further in this direction. As _USA Today’s_ basketball editor Ron Thomas later reflected, the league decided “that it was going to make being a Black league” its brand. Charismatic and marketable Black stars like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan spearheaded league publicity campaigns in the 1980s (joined by white superstar Larry Bird), while Stern also worked to spread the game globally. The league turned its All Star game into what sportswriter J.A. Adande described as the “Black Super Bowl.” That meant recruiting Black music stars like [Marvin Gaye](https://theathletic.com/4153452/2023/02/16/marvin-gaye-nba-all-star-game-national-anthem-remembered/) before his death in 1984, and later J. Cole, Kanye West, Rihanna, and others, to perform at the All-Star game. Black celebrities including Spike Lee, Ahmad Rashad, Michael B. Jordan, and Kevin Hart cheered from the stands. The league also ramped up marketing efforts to target young Black fans through sports and music, including announcing the starting lineup for the 1989 All-Star game with a rap performed by the Bronx-based hip-hop group, the Ultramagnetic MCs. Crucial to this strategy was engaging fans through non-traditional means. “We were more loose, more in touch with music, entertainment, our players,” Don Sperling, an NBA executive, believed. “We were really the first league to sort of marry the pop culture, music, entertainment, with NBA players and its lifestyle.” When the hip-hop group Run DMC released their hit song “My Adidas,” and when Kurtis Blow’s music video for his song “Basketball” hit the mainstream in the mid-1980s, it was a perfect marriage of sports, music, and fashion—an intentional embrace of Black culture. During Stern’s tenure as commissioner, though, this embrace was never simple. The arrival of Allen Iverson in 1996 presented the league with a conundrum. Unlike previous Black megastars, Iverson was heavily tattooed, wore his hair in cornrows, and sported baggy clothes. And he became a [cultural icon](https://howard-chai.medium.com/the-nba-and-blackness-control-and-commodification-f3f77a77b206). He was controversial and outspoken and unwilling to submit to the whims of the NBA’s power structure. **_Read More:_** [20 Years Before Colin Kaepernick, This NBA Star Protested During the National Anthem](https://time.com/6223581/mahmoud-abdul-rauf-kaepernick-activism/) Whether or not directly in response to Iverson, Stern and the NBA announced a league-wide dress code in 2005, which regulated the clothing players could wear to and from the games. The league claimed that it was an effort to raise the character profile of its players, but detractors saw it as an opportunity to limit Black style. At the same time, Stern drove a dramatic expansion of the NBA’s global footprint. He capitalized on a steady parade of international star players — beginning with Chinese center Yao Ming, who joined the NBA in 2002 — to a build huge fan base for the league outside of the U.S. As in areas of social justice, the NBA has been ahead of other American sports leagues in engaging international audiences. Stern stepped down in 2014 after 30 years as commissioner, and his successor Adam Silver continued to pursue global fans, while finishing the embrace of Black culture that had remained incomplete under Stern. By 2015, not only had the league ditched Stern’s dress code, it held a [fashion show](https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2015/02/14/all-star-weekend-fashion-show-jr-smith-lebron-james-demarcus-cousins) during All-Star weekend, celebrating, rather than restricting, the clothing worn by its superstar players. As the league came to more fully embrace Black culture, it unsurprisingly recognized that social justice issues were an important part of its brand and culture. “Part of the reason NBA players are more active,” Silver explained in a 2018 interview, “is that it’s been part of the culture of this league for generations and passed down to them.” In 2020, after the shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha, Wis., police, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to participate in a playoff game. The move put the NBA front and center in national debates over civil and civic rights, even though the league had been politicized for decades. Far from seeing social justice issues as problematic, Silver [publicly embraced](https://time.com/collection/time100-companies/5953664/nba/) players’ activism. He batted aside concerns that the tie with social justice could hurt the league. “I have no data that suggests that people who were troubled by the NBA’s embrace of Black Lives Matter or our players’ positions on racial equality had a measurable impact on our ratings,” the commissioner noted. “And in fact, I think there may have been a segment of our fan base that became additionally engaged with the league as a result of the positions our players were espousing.” And this stance makes sense because of the demographic makeup of the NBA fan base. Not only has decades of courtship translated into a large Black fan base, but the NBA also has a huge global footprint, and a younger fan base than the other leagues.  Young people lean further left in their politics than previous generations, and are increasingly hard to reach through traditional media like newspapers or television. As Silver acknowledges, “We can tell by virtue of their engagement that they still love this league and our players, but they have different habits than their older siblings even did, not just their parents.” Embracing social justice issues explicitly places the NBA on a particular side in modern American politics on issues like Black Lives Matter. And it is not a stance without controversy—in 2018, a Fox News commentator told players to [“shut up and dribble”.](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/19/587097707/laura-ingraham-told-lebron-james-to-shutup-and-dribble-he-went-to-the-hoop) Even Silver recognizes that the league has not [“been perfect”](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2920274-adam-silver-talks-nbas-bubble-social-justice-mental-health-and-more-with-gq) on issues of racial equality and social justice. But it’s key to attracting the young, more [ethnically diverse](https://money.cnn.com/2018/02/16/news/companies/nba-adam-silver-player-activism/index.html), demographic the league hopes to capture. Those fans see the league as a force for good and maintaining their loyalty has been key to driving franchise valuations to an [all-time high](https://www.forbes.com/lists/nba-valuations/?sh=112867ef6982). _Adam Criblez is a professor of history at_ [_Southeast Missouri State University and the author of_ Kings of the Garden: The New York Knicks and Their City](https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501773938/kings-of-the-garden/). _Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians._ [_Learn more about Made by History at TIME here_](https://time.com/6317798/introducing-made-by-history-for-time/)_._ _Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors_. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6963485/nba-activism-history/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6963485/nba-activism-history/"},"headline":"How the NBA Learned to Embrace Activism","datePublished":"2024-04-19T16:20:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:52:29.209Z","description":"A changing NBA fan base drove the league toward an embrace of Black culture, and social justice politics.","url":"https://time.com/6963485/nba-activism-history/","keywords":["Made by History","freelance"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6abf8489b9fca1d0/698a556a4ee26270ee31df21/nba-blm.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Adam Criblez / Made by History"}],"articleSection":"History","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6abf8489b9fca1d0/698a556a4ee26270ee31df21/nba-blm.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Lakers - Game Five","caption":"Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Lakers - Game Five","creditText":"Michael Reaves—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/history/","name":"History"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/made-by-history/","name":"Made by History"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6963485/nba-activism-history/","name":"How the NBA Learned to Embrace Activism"}}]}] ```