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NBA goes all-in for MLK Day tribute with impact

For a league that has had its share of race-related controversies in recent years, the NBA has acquitted itself quite nicely on that front.

For a league that has had its share of race-related controversies in recent years, the NBA has acquitted itself quite nicely on that front.

The Donald Sterling saga in April 2014 led to unprecedented action from the league, with Commissioner Adam Silver banning the longtime Los Angeles Clippers owner for his racist remarks and an ownership change ensuing as a result. Five months later, the racially insensitive remarks of former Atlanta Hawks owner Bruce Levenson and former general manager Danny Ferry were revealed, and changes in ownership and the front office were eventually made.

All of which makes Monday’s focus on Martin Luther King Jr. Day all the more meaningful.

The celebration of the late civil rights leader’s legacy and influence goes well beyond the four nationally televised games, second behind Christmas Day’s five this season. From symposiums to charity events to school visits that include discussions about lessons learned from King’s life, it’s an orchestrated effort to make the most of his memory that should be applauded.

"It’s the legacy of a man who, really, through love and compassion and determination, really changed the world, changed the landscape and helped spark that change that has occurred here in our country," said former NBA star and NBA TV personality Grant Hill, who is one of the members of the Hawks’ new ownership group and whose father attended King’s March on Washington in 1963. "I think it’s really just been his model of leadership, of how to effectively change the world.

"It’s great that we all, no matter what color your skin is or what your background is, can look back and reflect and appreciate just how important and how valuable he was to modern society."

In Dr. King’s hometown of Atlanta, where he followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a pastor at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, TNT’s Inside the NBA crew will host its show at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change while interviewing the likes of Dr. King’s son, Martin Luther King III, Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and civil rights activist and former ambassador Andrew Young. As part of the program, TNT will air the new rap video Bigger Than US, by Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who brilliantly blends the continued need for non-violent change and hope.

In Memphis, where Dr. King was assassinated at the age of 39, the Grizzlies have hosted a weekend’s worth of MLK-related events leading up to their game Monday against the Pelicans. Modern-day difference makers will be honored as part of the proceedings, with former NBA players Jalen Rose and Spencer Haywood along with WNBA player Tamika Catchings, being given the 11th Annual National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award for "contributions to civil and human rights, and for laying the foundation for future leaders through their career in sports in the spirit of Dr. King," according to the announcement.

Of all the NBA cities, Memphis has unofficially become the epicenter of all things Dr. King — and not just on his holiday. Teams routinely visit the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, where King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

"It’s not a written rule, but it’s a must-do when you’re a player here," said Grizzlies veteran Vince Carter, who grew up in Daytona Beach, Fla. "You’re in Memphis, and that’s one of the things that you’re supposed to do. I don’t care of your color, creed, or any of that, it’s a part of American history. ... It’s just something you should educate yourself on.

"I think (Dr. King) means something different to each black, or African-American, individual. For me ... it brings hope, belief, and leadership, because if you don’t believe that you can become whatever you want to become, and if you don’t have the leadership to bring others along with you, I just think you end up in the dead end."

Said Grizzlies big man Zach Randolph, who learned of King’s lessons from his grandmother while growing up in Marion, Ind.: "What (King) did for us was to give us freedom, someway or somehow. Racism still exists in this world today, but he was a leader and he showed other African-Americans that they could be anything they wanted to be and they could speak from their heart and live the dream and do the right thing — nobody can tell you what to do and you believe in yourself.

"(Racism) still exists. You can’t act like it doesn’t exist. ... But you don’t ever stop working and trying to make it better, and you always try to hope that people understand that everybody’s equal, no matter if you’re red, white, pink, orange. It don’t matter."

MLK Day TV games (all times ET)
Pelicans at Grizzlies (ESPN), 2:30 p.m.
Magic at Hawks (NBA TV), 5 p.m.
Warriors at Cavaliers (TNT), 8 p.m.
Rockets at Clippers (TNT), 10:30 p.m.

Follow Sam Amick on Twitter @sam_amick.

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