For 37 years, the NBA has been celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Each year, the Association tries to honor the legacy of Dr. King through a full day of televised games as well as other activities. After tonight‘s final game, there will have been 367 games played on this historic day.
Slate of NBA Games
The day started off with the Boston Celtics squaring off against the Charlotte Hornets. The Celtics have won four in a row on King’s Day. They started their winning streak back in 2017 against the Hornets. A couple of MLK Day vets will be hitting the floor tonight as well. LeBron James will play in his 11th MLK Day game as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Houston Rockets. Eric Gordon of the Rockets will play in his 12th game on this day. Both vets have not been on the winning end of these games as James has a 3-7 record, while Gordon has a record of 4-7.
The Golden State Warriors are also on the slate tonight as they take on the Washington Wizards. The defending NBA champions must love playing on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. They have a record of 20-9 when playing on King’s Day, which is better than every team in the league.
Team Activities
Along with the slate of games, different teams around the league are remembering Dr. King in their own way. The Wizards will be wearing warm up shirts that say ‘now is the time to make justice a reality for all’. The Milwaukee Bucks will have a fair during their game today to promote volunteering and community involvement. There will be a tribute for Dr. King at halftime of the Atlanta Hawks-Miami Heat matchup. The Memphis Grizzlies have been celebrating MLK Day for the past week!
The players have spent time at Springfield Elementary School in Memphis with students to help give them an understanding of who Dr. King was and what he meant. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.
Happy Birthday Dr. King!
Written by:Brandon Simmons
