Yahoo Finance Michelle Obama reportedly meets with NBA, WNBA players to talk importance of voting
Former First Lady Michelle Obama planned to meet with NBA and WNBA players on Sunday afternoon to talk about voting, Oklahoma City Thunder star and president of the Players Association Chris Paul said.
Obama’s push on voting came just 100 days out from election day in November, part of the “When We All Vote” campaign. She announced on Sunday that they have already registered 100,000 new voters through that campaign, and hope to double that number before November.
"We're gonna talk about the importance of voting and making sure your voice is heard," Paul said after their scrimmage on Sunday, via The Oklahoman. "And I think that's very important that we're doing this together, right? Not just NBA players, not just WNBA players, but we're doing it together. We can share stories and know how each other feels."
"Hearing the women speak is powerful, it's powerful. I have a wife, obviously I have a mother, but more importantly I have a daughter. I have to protect her and make sure she's stood up for too, so big shoutout to the women and what they're doing."
NBA, NBPA forming foundation with $300 million pledge
Paul also spoke about the formation of a joint foundation between the league and the players union on Sunday, something he hopes to get started with a $300 million pledge from the NBA.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that talks about launching the foundation are at an “intense” stage, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times. The foundation has yet to be approved, though a formal vote is expected soon. The goal, per the report, is to help support economic empowerment in the Black community.
Players are expected to be allowed to determine where that money will go, too — yet another push by players to help make societal change throughout the country while playing in the bubble at Walt Disney World.
"We said that we wanted to see more Black and Brown people in front offices, more Black people in positions of power — not just coaches," Paul said, via The Oklahoman. "We're talking about heads of organizations. We want to see that, and we talked to the league about that. There's a few things that we wanted to see happen. The jerseys are a part of it, but we know that we need the money and the funding to really make change.
"I'm gonna keep saying this until, shoot, until I'm not here anymore, how proud I am of our guys and our league for stepping up to the challenge."
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