The Washington Mystics on Aug. 26, 2020, in Palmetto, Florida.
Photographer: Julio Aguilar/Getty ImagesTaking a Knee, Once Career Poison, Now Seen as Good for Business
Last week’s cancellation of sports competition was a watershed event in America.
In 1990, Michael Jordan, as famous at the time for selling Nike shoes as he was for playing for the Chicago Bulls, declined to get involved in politics. “Republicans buy sneakers, too,” he said.
Thirty years later, protesting athletes pushed major sports leagues to cancel a slew of games after police shot yet another Black man, Jacob Blake. The risk of losing a shoe contract or alienating fans wasn’t enough to stop players from making their point.