Pope Francis reportedly wants to learn more about NBA players' work with social justice issues.
The NBA's social justice work has gained the attention of Pope Francis.
According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, five NBA players and representatives from the National Basketball Players Association are meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Monday morning. The group includes players Kyle Korver, Sterling Brown, Anthony Tolliver, Marco Belinelli and Jonathan Isaac, who is an ordained minister, as well as NBPA executive director Michele Roberts.
Union officials told ESPN that an intermediary for Pope Francis contacted the players' association last week and said the Pope wanted to learn more about players' work with social justice issues and economic inequality, including their plans to address these in the future. The union agreed to the meeting and scheduled an overnight flight for Sunday.
The meeting is expected to last an hour at the papal library of the Apostolic Palace, and the players and union officials will tour St. Peter's Square when it concludes. The group will return to the U.S. on Tuesday morning.
While in the NBA's bubble in Orlando, players used their platform to address racial inequality, police brutality and other issues. Most players kneeled during the national anthem before games, while some chose to wear social justice messages on the backs of their jerseys.
In October, the Bucks elected to sit out Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Magic to protest the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. Both Korver and Brown played for the Bucks last season. Milwaukee's decision led to other sports taking notice, and WNBA, MLB and NHL teams also elected to postpone games.