Michael Jordan, Adam Silver Headline NBA Foundation Inaugural Board

The NBA has announced the inaugural board members of the NBA Foundation that is dedicated to supporting Black communities throughout the United States. 

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the eight-member board includes Charlotte Hornets chairman Michael Jordan, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NBPA executive director Michele Roberts, and active players Tobias Harris and Harrison Barnes.

The NBA board of governors and National Basketball Players Association announced the creation of the NBA Foundation in August:

"Through its mission to drive economic empowerment for Black communities through employment and career advancement, the NBA Foundation will seek to increase access and support for high school, college-aged and career-ready Black men and women, and assist national and local organizations that provide skills training, mentorship, coaching and pipeline development in NBA markets and communities across the United States and Canada. As a public charity, the Foundation will also aim to work strategically with marketing and media partners to develop additional programming and funding sources that deepen the NBA family's commitment to racial equality and social justice."

As part of the league's announcement, all 30 team owners pledged to donate a total of $300 million over the next 10 years to the foundation. 

The eight board members are tasked with overseeing "all business affairs and provide strategic direction with respect to programming and grant-making."

Oklahoma City Thunder star Chris Paul, who is also president of the NBPA, said in the Aug. 5 announcement that the foundation was formed as part of negotiations with the league to resume the season after play was suspended in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A number of players used the season's suspension to protest against systemic racism and social injustice in the wake of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd being killed by police earlier this year. 

During the postseason, the Milwaukee Bucks led a player protest after Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 23.

The NBA halted play for three days amid the protest and later agreed to a deal with the NBPA that included forming a social justice coalition and promoting voter engagement for the remainder of the postseason.