Wright-Foreman opens up about NBA boycotts and social injustice

Hofstra Pride men’s basketball alumnus Justin Wright-Foreman was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft. He started his season in the NBA playing for the Salt Lake City Stars, the NBA G-League affiliate team for the Jazz, but ended the season playing for the Utah Jazz in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida. Wright-Foreman did all he could to help his team make it to the NBA Finals, while also helping to spread the message of racial justice at a time when America needed it most.

Wright-Foreman is now among some of the greatest athletes to play for Hofstra University. He knows how special Hofstra is and says he will never forget the people who supported him to help him get to where he is today.

“Making it to the league was a very eye-opening experience for me. Obviously, I have to thank the Utah Jazz for investing their time and their draft pick in me, giving me this opportunity, as well as all of my coaches at Hofstra. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t go to Hofstra,” Wright-Foreman said. “To see my dream after four years of hard work and late nights at the gym actually come true, it is really rewarding. I want to show my community and all of the little kids looking up to me that you can do anything as long as you put your mind to it.”

Starting out his first season in the NBA with the Salt Lake City Stars, Wright-Foreman averaged 17.3 points and 2.6 assists, shooting over 46% from the field.

“The Stars helped me to grow and develop my game. That experience was extremely valuable to me. I got to see and learn about what the physicality in the league is like,” Wright-Foreman said. “It makes it less shocking going on to the court against players who you’ve looked up to. All of that goes out the window once the game starts.”

Wright-Foreman was surprised to get the call to play for the Utah Jazz this season. The news came after the NBA announced they would be resuming their regular season inside of a bubble in Orlando, Florida, after the coronavirus pandemic put games on pause for over four months.

“It was definitely shocking to me at first, because I didn’t know what was going on with all of the precautions and the roster limits that were in place,” Wright-Foreman said. “But that being said, I was ready for the opportunity to travel with the team to Orlando.”

Once inside the NBA bubble, players had to adjust to a new lifestyle and take extra precautionary measures to ensure player safety.

“Every day we had the same routine of taking our temperatures, walking around with our masks on everywhere we went. They did have some things for us to do like an arcade, a volleyball court and a swimming pool,” Wright-Foreman said. “That helped to take your mind off of the game of basketball and the reason why we’re all there to begin with. The NBA put together a place for us to play basketball and to be safe while doing it.”

Although the players, coaches and staff from 17 different teams were there to play basketball, some of the NBA’s superstars did more than just play the sport they love. Players like LeBron James, Chris Paul and Wright-Foreman’s teammate Donovan Mitchell came to the forefront of the league by speaking up about the racial injustices occurring in the country. The civil unrest sparked by the murder of George Floyd in May continued into August, during the 2020 NBA playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks walked out of their first-round playoff game against the Orlando Magic in protest and in solidarity, and the rest of the playoff teams in the NBA followed suit, deciding not to play their scheduled games. The protests would last for the next three days.

Wright-Foreman’s Jazz took part in these boycotts and made sure their voices were heard. “It is extremely sad when you think about everything that is going on in the world today,” Wright-Foreman said. “We are the ones that want change to happen, so everyone has to start making that change together.”

“The way we stood up for everything going on was what was right and what needed to be done. It is not fair for people to just go home and watch us play basketball on TV like we are entertainers. We have a voice, we have rights ourselves – with these real life issues going on I believe that we can’t just sit back, we must create change and make it happen,” Wright-Foreman said.

Prior to the NBA boycotts, Wright-Foreman posted a picture of himself on his Instagram account with the caption, “We are BLACK MEN! ... We build ... We don’t tear down other BLACK MEN! ... We have felt the pain of being torn down and we have decided we will be deliberate about building others!”

Wright-Foreman emphasized a message of unity. “It starts with everybody, we need to encourage and educate everybody, no matter the race. We may be different in our own way, but we all share the same blood,” Wright-Foreman said. “We have to help each other. It is not a you-against-me thing, it is a we thing.”

Wright-Foreman has a plan to start bringing the change the world needs at a local level. “I would love to start helping at Hofstra, Long Island and Queens, giving back to my community and doing more things together. To show that we’re not here to cause problems, but we are here to find the solutions to the problems people of color face every day. In the end, it’s about togetherness. If we have that, we can have change.”

His message for younger generations can apply to anyone regardless of gender, skin color, or career ambitions.

“Always believe in yourself and be willing to help others. If you’re willing to help others, you are willing to make a positive impact in this world,” Wright-Foreman said. “If you work hard and have a good work ethic you will reach your goals and give yourself the opportunity to accomplish many things.”

As for the rest of the world, he believes making strides toward change begins with a single step: “It does not take anything to be kind and nice to each other. Spread love, not hate. That’s what you would want, right?” Wright-Foreman said. “Let’s spread more love in this world. If we do that, we will see the change we’re all trying to make.”

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics