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NBA wouldn't let Jimmy Butler wear a no-name jersey, had to change before game

The Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler always wants to do things his way, but the NBA wouldn’t let him this time.

For the NBA restart, the league allowed players to choose from a pre-approved list of social justice messages for the backs of their jerseys (words and phrases like “Equality,” “How Many More” and “Black Lives Matter”). Players also had the option of having nothing at the top, with their number in the middle and their name underneath.

Those were the two options. Butler tried to choose option three: He wanted a jersey with no name and no social justice message — only his number. Unfortunately, option three didn’t actually exist, and the NBA noticed and told him it was a no-go.

Butler forced to change

During the warmup for the Heat’s game against the Denver Nuggets, Butler was seen wearing that no-name jersey. But since the NBA wasn’t allowing Butler to wear that jersey during games, the game couldn’t begin until Butler took off his jersey and changed into one that was within the rules.

Butler’s thinking behind the blank jersey is interesting and admirable. But while the NBA is progressive as far as Black Live Matter and social justice, it’s still a sports league. And in sports, you have to follow the rules.

At least Butler got to make his statement before the game. As he explained a few weeks ago, while he supports Black Lives Matter and all the jersey messages, wearing a jersey with no message and no name was going back to who he was.

“If I wasn’t who I was today, I’m no different than anybody else of color,” Butler said. “And I want that to be my message, in the sense that just because I’m an NBA player, everybody has the same right no matter what.”

Jimmy Butler wears a Black Lives Matter t-shirt on a basketball court.
Jimmy Butler wasn't allowed to wear a jersey with only his number, and no name or social justice message. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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