The National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA hereafter) and commissioner Adam Silver recently joined the chorus of voices speaking out in the aftermath of George Floyd's death.

A statement from the NBCA, signed by 33 coaches and almost 180 assistant coaches, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports :

The statement pinpoints "police brutality, racial profiling and the weaponization of racism" as "shameful, inhuman and intolerable."

And their call for "positive change" will reportedly be followed by some action. The NBCA has also formed a "committee on racial injustice and reform to pursue solutions within NBA cities" Wojnarowski reports, which will be comprised of at least Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, Lloyd Pierce, David Fizdale, Stan Van Gundy, Doc Rivers, JB Bickerstaff and Quin Snyder.

Already, many in the NBA community have acted to protest systemic racism and police brutality in the wake of Floyd's death. Stephen Jackson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Okogie demonstrated with many in Minneapolis. Jaylen Brown drove 15 hours from Boston to lead a peaceful march in Atlanta that also featured Malcolm Brogdon . Lonnie Walker aided in clean-up efforts after a night of protests in San Antonio. The list goes on from there.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver wrote in an internal memo to NBA employees obtained by ESPN that he was "heartened" by those "speaking out to demand justice, urging peaceful protest and working for meaningful change." Silver also called for introspection and promised the NBA will "continue its efforts to promote inclusion and bridge divides through collective action, civic engagement, candid dialogue and support for organizations working towards justice and equality." He expressed condolences to the Floyd family, outrage over the wrongful deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and an obligation to not ignore the issues of "racism, police brutality and racial injustice."

As of this writing, 26 of 30 NBA teams have issued statements on Floyd's passing, either as entities or through organization spokespeople, ranging from executives to coaches. Hopefully, the words of many lead to action - and that action to appreciable change.

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NBCA, Adam Silver speak out following George Floyds death and recent protests originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago