Be a good sport

Passionate basketball player

After Israel's Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv recently beat Spain's Real Madrid in the Euroleague basketball finals, some people on Twitter responded with vile anti-Semitic tweets.

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) tipped off WNBA Pride presented by COVERGIRL, a new national platform celebrating inclusion and equality, while combating anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) bias, it was announced today by WNBA President Laurel J. Richie.

Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team made horrible racist remarks, and imbecilic comments about HIV/AIDS and the beloved Magic Johnson, in a league, the NBA, where most of the players are African Americans and is now in the process of selling the team.

Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, another NBA team, showed how stupid and bigoted people can be.

But there are also guys like Ibrahim Hamadto, an armless table tennis player who plays with his mouth and says, “I believe that nothing is impossible, as long as you work hard”.

The amazing wheelchair basketball players that I coach, who don’t let anything stop them from participating are an embodiment of that. Nothing can stop someone with enthusiasm. My dear friend Sristi is an incredible blind dancer and entrepreneur, who recently led an inclusive 11 hour hike.

Sports reflect life. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I love sports, the physical exercise, the ability to bring diverse people together, the learnings; how to be part of a team, making a commitment, valuing others, learning about leadership. Sports are all encompassing.

I agree with a recent article on Sharing4good on Sports and Development for Peace.

Sports has the power to transform anybody who participates. Development is about partnership and sports certainly has the potential to bring people together.

WNBA Pride is a perfect example of bringing people together, no matter their sexual orientation.

The more that we can move people such as Donald Sterling to the margins, and promote people such as Mr. Hamadto, the better the world will be.