During a media conference call on Wednesday, Spurs guard Patty Mills announced he would donate the rest of his 2020 NBA salary to organizations fighting against systemic racism in the United States and in his home country of Australia.
Spurs guard Patty Mills says he is donating his remaining NBA salary of $1,017,818.54 in Orlando to Black Lives Matter organizations. pic.twitter.com/ugPwExNebM
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2020
“I’m playing in Orlando because I don’t want to leave any money on the table that could be going directly to Black communities,” Mills said.
Many in the league have discussed where they will find their sense of purpose during the NBA restart, especially considering the situation in America and around the world right now. Even playing in empty arenas or without families around will make it difficult, but Mills is generating an entirely new purpose for the season, with each moment he’s getting paid to play in Orlando going directly toward Black Lives Matter Australia, Black Deaths in Custody, and We Got You, which Mills said fights against racism in sports back home.
Mills’ announcement comes after Dwight Howard decided to donate the rest of his 2020 salary to his own charitable organization, Breathe Again.
The Spurs have been among the most vocal during the NBA hiatus, with head coach Gregg Popovich frequently assailing the federal government for its response to the pandemic as well as the white supremacy he believes emanates from the White House. Guard DeMar DeRozan criticized the NBA’s lack of communication about regulations as players entered the bubble. And the Spurs highlighted the stories of its Black staffers and other people of color who work for the organization in a moving video series on its YouTube channel.
Source: https://uproxx.com/dimemag/patty-mills-donating-salary-anti-racism-organizations/