When he made his famous “I have a dream” speech, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. couldn’t possibly have known what far-reaching and historic influence it would have.
More than 250,000 listened to Dr. King from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. Less than five years later – April 4, 1968 – he was murdered in Memphis at age 39.
More than 55 years after his death, the words of his speech resonate as much as any ever uttered in American history.
And they come through loud and strong in the NBA, which commemorates MLK Day on Monday with 11 games and an affirmation of the commitment the league has to pursuing equality for all.
“It’s great what the league has done on Martin Luther King Day – the education of what that day means and what Martin Luther King means, not just to the NBA, but to our country,” Mavericks’ coach Jason Kidd said. “It’s something that’s needed. And it’s another great day of basketball.”
MLK Day was first observed on Jan. 20, 1986. Since then, the NBA has had games on the holiday every season except 1999, when a lockout shuttered the league until February. There have been 367 games played on MLK Day, a number that will rise to 378 this year.
And it’s a day when remembering Dr. King’s message is at the front of the NBA every year, and especially so this year.
“MLK Day is particularly special this year as it marks what would have been Dr. King’s 95th birthday,” Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall said. “As I reflect on his life and legacy, I’m mindful of this year’s national theme: It Starts With Me.
“It starts with me, seeing the need, the problem, the issue. It starts with me, offering a positive solution. It starts with me, believing that I can make a difference. And while it takes all of us, it starts with me, taking action to help create a world where every voice matters and everybody belongs.”
It’s quite simply a day the NBA embraces as part of its culture.
The Mavericks did not play on MLK day last season, but were in action in 2022, beating Oklahoma City 104-102 and in 2021, losing at Toronto 116-93 on the back end of a tough back-to-back.
Today, it’s the New Orleans Pelicans who will be at American Airlines Center at 1:30 p.m. for a rematch of Saturday’s 118-108 Mavericks’ loss.
Pelicans’ coach Willie Green had a poignant commentary on how meaningful MLK Day is not only in the NBA but throughout America.
“It’s special,” Green said. “First of all, we get to celebrate the life of Dr. King and all the things he stood up for.”
And then, Green took it a step further.
“I’m a beneficiary of his dream, having an opportunity as an African-American to use his platform to impact my family, the community that I come from, the community that I work in,” he said. “To be a servant leader, those are the things he stood for, for all people. I’m grateful, definitely grateful, for the sacrifices Dr. King and many others made so that we can have the opportunities we have today.”
Two of the most politically inclined NBA coaches – San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich and Golden State’s Steve Kerr – both believe that the history of what Dr. King stands for must be preserved.
“Everybody wants to forget about it, but it should be there, front and center, constantly,” Popovich said. “I don’t care what is going on in the country – global warming, economics, manufacturing, trade wars with China . . . Race is still the unanswered dilemma that everyone continues to ignore. Dr. King did not ignore it.”
And the NBA’s involvement cannot be underestimated.
“It’s become sort of a landmark day in the NBA season,” Kerr said. “I love that there are day games involved. There’s something special about playing a day game on a holiday.
“And it sort of combines the NBA’s show business, the attraction that these players have and the entertainment they provide. And also their awareness and their commitment to social justice. I think it’s a great day for the league.”
King used the phrase “I have a dream” eight times in his 1963 speech. One phrase: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.”
His words carried weight beyond sports. Years after Dr. King’s death, the Late Bob Marley sang about how the color of a man’s skin should matter no more than the color of his eyes.
And the NBA is privileged to provide entertainment on the day, as well as championing the message that Dr. King stood for.
“When you look at Christmas or Martin Luther King, it is an honor to be able to work on that day,” Kidd said. “The public is watching, but also to be educated of why we’re playing and what that day means.”
X: @ESefko
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