The National Basketball
Association continues to set higher and higher standards for attendance and television
ratings. The NBA is more than just a
game–it’s big business also. The
popularity of professional basketball is even greater during the NBA playoffs
than the regular season. The first round of the 2014 playoffs began in April
and will climax with the championship series in June. Understandably, the focus
during the NBA playoffs normally is the basketball game and the action on the
court. The media broadcasts and reports on the various games with highlights
featuring the skills of some of the best athletes in the world. Fans cheer for
their hometown teams or favorite players and “trash talk” on which team will
advance through the rounds to play in the championship.
The playoffs began this year with
that same emphasis on the games on the court. All that changed on Friday, April 25th.
A recording was released to the media on that day that has dramatically shifted
the focus away from the ballgames to an intensive look into the very culture of
the NBA. The recording is a conversation which includes insensitive, racist
comments by Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. His comments
are certainly inflammatory, but this is only the most recent chapter in a long
history of questionable actions and attitudes. The fact that Sterling has been
a 30 year member of this very exclusive club of 30 franchise owners in the NBA is
now a public embarrassment to the league. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been
quick to bring a ruling in response to his comments. Silver issued a lifetime ban from any
involvement with the NBA or the Clippers franchise. He is also counseling the NBA Board of
Governors to force Sterling to sell the Clippers. Although the process for
forcing the sale is yet to be determined, it is a foregone conclusion that the
actions of the Board of Governors will be enforced.
As Christ-followers in this 21st
century culture, this NBA racism incident teaches life lessons on how believers
in Jesus are to impact the culture. One lesson is that racism is unacceptable
in the USA, and certainly must be denounced by Christians of every ethnicity.
Another lesson is that the root of racism or any wickedness is the heart not
just the external words or actions. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:
Jeremiah 17:9 Therefore, the goal for the Christ-follower
is to lead others to have a change of heart. Above all else, guard your heart, for
everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of
perversity; keep
corrupt talk far from your lips. Proverbs 4:23-24 A third lesson is that
God changes the hearts of people. God speaks love as an offer of
grace. Any person can have a change of heart. The gospel is that Jesus forgives
all sin and thus any person can experience grace. When an individual is in a love relationship
with God, Christ transforms hatred and bigotry into loving authentic fellowship
with other people. This change is the result of new life in Jesus Christ. Therefore,
since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through
whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand...
how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one
man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many. Romans 5:1-2,17
Much has been achieved and\ yet
there is more to be done to erase racism from American culture. True unity is
possible in the fellowship of Christ Jesus. So
in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith … for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26-28 The NBA is certainly an
example of cultural and racial diversity, but the local church must be the
fundamental “Association” of love and respect for all persons in the USA and for all the nations.
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