The NBA, Domestic Violence, and the Need For Change

The NBA’s current approach to domestic violence is no longer tenable. It’s time for the league to take definitive action and prioritize the safety and well-being of women

I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine about former NFL wide receiver Josh Gordon. Gordon may best be remembered for having tremendous physical abilities (he once led the league in receiving yards in his second NFL season, good for 20th most yards in a season all-time), but also as someone that never fulfilled his potential because of multiple suspensions that kept him out of the league. The interesting thing about Gordon was that his suspensions were for marijuana violations that resulted in year long suspensions, something that likely would not happen today due to more widespread acceptance of the medicinal properties of the marijuana plant.

Long suspensions for drug abuse and possession is not a new concept in either the NFL or NBA, some of the longest suspensions ever doled out by the leagues are for drug related offenses. It is particularly jarring when you consider that the penalties for domestic violence are often punished with much less severity by comparison. This disparity has been shown recently in the NBA, where Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges has served a 30 game suspension for felony assault of his ex-girlfriend (and mother of…