Dozens of NBA players are reportedly interested in wearing blank nameplates on their jerseys during the league's restart at Disney World, after Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler recently said it was his preference.
More than 30 players have reportedly applied to wear no-name jerseys in recent days, according to Vince Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
Butler said last week he would rather pass on wearing his last name or a message of social justice, as an expression of solidarity with everyday people of color.
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“If I wasn’t who I was today, I’m no different than anybody else of color," Butler said last week.
Conflicting reports over the weekend made it unclear how the NBA would respond. Two reports said Butler's request would be denied because it didn't comply with permitted messaging approved by the league, but a later report said the league had not yet decided.
The list of allowed messages has been a minor controversy for the league since its release.
Many players did not agree with the choices they were presented, suggesting the list was far too short.
US Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri called on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to include conservative-themed messages, and accused the league of censorship.