NBA Players Partner With Spike Lee To Speak Out Against Gun Violence

There have literally been hundreds of public shootings that have occurred in 2015 alone, and the conversation on gun violence has never been more ubiquitous. And it looks as if more and more people are speaking out in order to do something about it, reports ESPN.

Acclaimed and controversial film director Spike Lee sat down with several NBA players — including Stephen Curry, Carmelo Anthony, and more — as well as dozens of members of the Everytown Survivor Network to discuss how this tragic issue has personally affected them, and what they are doing to bring about change. On Christmas Day, this public service announcement will debut on television as a campaign to put an end to mass shootings and gun violence in America.

Proud to team up with @NBA in the fight to #EndGunViolence in America. Learn more here: https://t.co/nXc50ACuUd https://t.co/Gr21EHSHu0

— Everytown (@Everytown) December 23, 2015

“The gun should never be an option,” Anthony says in the anti-gun violence PSA spot.

Kathy Behrens, the NBA’s president of social responsibility and player programs, says everyone involved was brought together by the same exact feelings. Everyone wanted to speak out.

“I think Lee sensed and saw that our guys were feeling that same passion that he had and he reached out to Adam [Silver, the NBA’s commissioner] and said, ‘I want to do something about this and I think we should do it together,’ and we thought it was a good idea,” Behrens said.

Everytown for Gun Safety is a nonprofit advocating gun control, founded in 2014 when they combined Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

The goal of the organization is to “support efforts to educate policy makers, as well the press and the public, about the consequences of gun violence and promote efforts to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.”

I’m proud of the @NBA for taking a stand against gun violence. Sympathy for victims isn’t enough – change requires all of us speaking up.

— President Obama (@POTUS) December 23, 2015

The PSA comes only weeks after Spike Lee debuted his film Chi-Raq, a modern day adaptation of Lysistrata, the ancient Greek play written by Aristophanes. The film is set against the backdrop of gang violence in the city of Chicago. Lee is a member of Everytown for Gun Safety’s creative council and was happy to get the league and its players involved in this anti-gun violence PSA, a project that came together within the last few weeks. More NBA players wanted to be involved but simply did not have enough time.

Carmelo marched in the streets of his childhood home of Baltimore last April and spoke out against both police brutality as well as pointless street violence.

“These are the streets that I walked when I was growing up,” Anthony said. “As you can see, everybody wants justice right now, so we’ve got to be patient and start believing in our system. I know it’s hard to do that right now.”

LeBron James, in October, was at home with his family when he heard news of the Oregon shooting. Before that, a 5-month-old girl in Cleveland was shot, riding in the car with her parents when a bullet pierced her chest. James spoke about the tragedy the next day at practice.

Like seriously man!!!! A baby shot in the chest in Cleveland. It’s been out of control but it’s really OOC. Ya’ll need to chill the F out.

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 1, 2015

“Obviously, you’re not going to be able to take every gun out, I don’t know how you can do that,” James said. “But if there’s some stipulations behind or some penalties, some big-time penalties or rules or regulations about carrying firearms, legal or illegal, people will second-guess themselves.”

[Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images]