During the NBA All Atar Weekend,the NBA is having the 1st ever NBA HBCU Classic on Saturday, Feb 19th. The teams participating are Morgan State University and Howard University, The NBA and AT&T will donate $100,000 to each school's atheletic department totaling $200,000. The game will be broadcast by TNT and ESPN2. The game will be attended by the NBA All Stars and the members of the 75th Anniversary Team.
The NBA has shown that it understands the important responsibility they have to women and people of color. They recognize Black History Month and celebrate the HBCUs in a manner that will pay huge dividends beyond the money they donated. Every Professional Sports League should follow suit and find ways to pay homage to the ancestors that paved the way for the current players.
If the NFL and MLB are watching, they should be formulating plans to do something. Next year's Super Bowl game is played in February so there is an opportunity to celebrate Black History. The MLB normally starts spring training in February and celebrating Black History would create interest in their season.
If the leagues don;t evolve ,they will lose their appeal to women and people of color, There are so many entertainment options to chose from. No one can asume that the public will always patronize and support their brand or product. Diversity and Inclusion are the key components for all successful organizations.
