David West Speaks on Eric Garner, Ferguson and Wishes More NBA Stars Did Too

David West doesn’t define himself as an athlete. He has convictions, and he thinks its important to use his public status to share them with the world.

“I will be in this skin far longer than I will be able to play this game,” wrote West on Twitter the day before Thanksgiving.

The color of that skin is the same as Eric Garner and Michael Brown, two black men killed by police this year, and West believes the failure to indict the cops involved has been a failure of justice. “I can’t breathe,” tweeted West minutes after officials announced the ruling not to indict the NYPD officer who choked Garner to death, repeating the final words of the late 29-year-old father of six children.

He spoke out further recently to the media, expressing a concern that more of his NBA peers have been unwilling to use their celebrity to stand up against what he feels is a grave injustice.

Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star captured his thoughts.

"“Unfortunately, we live in a world – when I say world, I’m talking about basketball – guys are turning a blind eye to it. They’ll talk to you to death about going to buy their sneakers or buying their gear and all this other type [stuff], but they won’t address the things that are actually happening in the world to people … It’s very, very, disheartening to be a part of this world sometimes when you see this sort of disregard.”"

Just last night it became evident that even the privileged lifestyle of NBA players isn’t enough to shelter them from the real world. The Moda Center in Portland was shuttered while the Pacers played the Trail Blazers as a protest against the New York grand jury ruling engulfed the streets outside the arena.

Damian Lillard spoke about the protest after the game.

Fans were able to leave after the game through a single entrance, so the disruption proved minimal. West had to be upset about the game’s outcome, an 82-88 loss, but his public stance on the issue means he was likely pleased to see so many locals voicing their dissent in the streets.

Because while West uses his public platform to help inform fans, he sees actions as more important than words. He doesn’t just run his mouth to lecture people on social media. He is actively doing what he can to help the next generation, as he explained in the Indy Star piece.

"“I learned a long time ago, if you’re not effectively looking to do things for other people, you’re living a selfish life,” said West, who spoke for nearly 10 minutes on the subject. “You’re living a life that’s centered around you and …that’s not the type of world I’m willing to leave behind for my kids and my grandkids. Just not something I’m willing to accept. It’s very disheartening. Very disheartening.”"

The shallow concerns of other players once made a young David West feel like a “foreigner in the sometimes-superficial world called the NBA,” according to Buckner in a piece published by the Indy Star in April. But playing in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina helped him see beyond the league and its trappings. Afterwards, he became more involved in the community.

Even in his days playing at Xavier University, he visited juvenile detention centers and abused women’s shelters, but in Louisiana he started sponsoring families affected by the natural disaster and visiting more prisons to talk with young inmates trying to rehabilitate their lives.

Given his NBA commitments, he probably can’t do as much as he wants to for the underprivileged. But he continues to share his wisdom with troubled youth in Indiana, and he recently helped feed some local families for the holidays.

And he undoubtedly sees such work as much more valuable than his tweets. But until he has more free time after his basketball career ends, he will use his visibility to stand for what he believes in.

That’s what makes him David West, the person. And being David West, the person, is what has made David West, the ballplayer, become the force on the court who confounds opponents and inspires teammates.