Golden State Warriors: The franchise that can create change bigger than the game

Tensions between sports and politics have found the Golden State Warriors at the forefront. Can the Warriors create change bigger than the game?

In light of the recent tension which has encapsulated the sports world, I wanted to talk about the role of the Golden State Warriors. Numerous members of the franchise have spoken out against inequality, injustice, and the current regime.

As defending NBA Champions, the team has arguably the largest platform of influence of any sports team. All eyes are already on the team as the endeavour to defend their Championship. However, outside of the sporting sphere, there has been a massive media storm around the Warriors. This is largely due to their interactions with President Donald Trump.

Between Trump rescinding the team’s White House invitation, and the conflict between Trump and the NFL, the Warriors have the opportunity to capitalize. As a society, we generally like to keep sports and politics separate.

Sports have always offered us an escape from divisive things, such as politics. Sports and politics have now mixed, and it’s come to a head. Tensions are escalating, and emotions are running wild. With the platform that our sporting heroes have, maybe we do need sports and politics to clash. There are clearly issues in society which must be addressed.

Protests during NFL games, and statements made by other athletes, such as Warriors players, have all helped to raise awareness. In the midst of the current political climate, the Warriors have the change to create change bigger than the game.

Why are the Warriors the franchise with this opportunity?

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In the past week, the Warriors have emerged as one of the major parties in this conflict. Stephen Curry’s comments on a potential White House visit at Media Day caught the attention of Trump. As we know, this resulted in Trump rescinding their invitation.

Since then, the Warriors have been at the center of tensions. Matt Barnes said in an interview with TMZ Sports that he would take a knee if all of his teammates obliged. Curry even appeared front and center of Sports Illustrated’s latest cover, titled ‘A Nation Divided, Sports United’. Former San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick begun the modern wave of protesting against inequality. He wasn’t even featured. Curry made his thoughts known on this in an interview after practice.

“That was terrible,” Curry said, according to Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle. “…If you don’t have (Kaepernick) front and center, something’s wrong.”

Curry being made the poster boy over Kaepernick presents an opportunity. As the leader of the Warriors, Curry has the chance to lead his franchise to inspire change. The NBA has rallied around Curry since Trump’s controversial response, and this launches the Warriors to the forefront. This is how the Warriors have found themselves with this opportunity. So, how can they inspire change bigger than the game?

What needs to happen?

As much as both, the Warriors and Trump, may not want to, a White House meeting is essential. It would be the optimal opportunity for two opposing opinions to meet and work out a solution to these issues. The Warriors released a statement over the weekend responding to Trump cancelling their visit. In this statement was the following excerpt:

“In lieu of a visit to the White House, we have decided that we’ll constructively use our trip to the nation’s capital in February to celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion — the values that we embrace as an organization.”

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The team can celebrate these values without a visit to the White House. However, it’s unlikely to solve the issues in society. Establishing dialogue with the President would be more effective. The franchise may have to reach out to Trump first, but it will be worth it. Many individuals in the Warriors franchise have been vocal about their respective issues with Trump and inequality. A White House visit would be the perfect chance to work through those issues.

How can they create change bigger than the game?

The ball is in the Warriors’ court, and that’s something to be very proud of. No other player, team or franchise has this opportunity. If the Warriors inspire change, what they create may be bigger than the game. They will achieve something that has never been achieved before. Additionally, considering the NFL has been actively protesting inequality for over a year, the Warriors can swiftly change society.

Nobody is bigger than the game. We’ve been blessed to watch some of the titans of the game, such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. None of them, however, were bigger than the game. The Warriors aren’t either. But, sports are a part of society. If the Warriors create and inspire positive change in society, then they have created something bigger than the game.

Sure, it’s easy to tell the Warriors to “stick to sports”, but that would be a wasted opportunity. Such an opportunity has never presented itself before, and the franchise has a better chance than any to take advantage.

Since Kaepernick first took a knee during the anthem over a year ago, little-to-no progress has been made. Awareness has been raised, but so have tensions. It is by no means the Warriors’ responsibility to create change, but they’ve been so inspiring with their expression of their beliefs. Will they lead this charge? Here’s hoping they do.

Do you think the Warriors can create change bigger than the game? Comment below!