NBAs Black Lives Matter Efforts Likely to Be Well-Received by Leagues Diverse, Left-Lean

In a poll conducted July 24-26, 59 percent of NBA fans said they support the league printing the phrase “Black Lives Matter” on the court and 54 percent favor allowing players to feature social justice-related messages on their jerseys. Support for those decisions is even greater among self-identified avid NBA fans: 72 percent favor featuring “Black Lives Matter” on the hardwood and 66 percent back the uniform displays.

Support for the initiatives among the broader population of sports fans is more tepid, with 49 percent in favor of the court messaging and 45 percent supporting the uniform messages.

The NBA suspended its 2019-20 season on March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus, the first domino to fall in the country’s subsequent sports shutdown.

In the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and as leaders negotiated a return to play, NBA players demanded that any plan offer them a platform to advocate for racial equality. Some players, including Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, even suggested players decline to play so they could focus on social progress.

Ultimately, the league and the players’ union agreed that players would be allowed to choose from 29 phrases to wear on their uniforms, a list that includes “Say Their Names” and “I Can’t Breathe.” Given the demographic makeup of the NBA’s biggest fans, the league won’t be alienating the bulk of its audience by opting not to “stick to sports.”

Demographic data from Morning Consult Brand Intelligence shows NBA fans, or those who have a “very favorable” view of at least one NBA team, are more likely to identify as Democrats and are more diverse than fans of the NFL, MLB or NHL. 

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