NBA using Christmas Day to take a stand against gun violence

Christmas Day is increasingly one of the NBA's brightest stages - last year's marquee Cleveland-Miami game drew 9.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen, a 19 percent increase from the same slot the previous year.

Friday, during this year's slate of five holiday games highlighted by an NBA Finals rematch between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers on ABC, the league will use perhaps its biggest in-season platform to take a stand against gun violence, calling upon many of the sport's biggest stars.

High-profile players Stephen Curry, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Joakim Noah appear in the first ad of a series, directed by Spike Lee and scheduled to roll out during the Christmas Day games on ABC and ESPN. The public service announcements were paid for by Everytown for Gun Safety, an advocacy group founded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a counterpoint to the National Rifle Association. The organization has previously partnered with celebrities Jennifer Aniston, Sofia Vergara and Amy Schumer. This is its first joint effort with the NBA.

In the first ad, Curry, the league's reigning MVP, opens the spot by saying, "I heard about a shooting involving a 3-year-old girl over the summer. My daughter Riley's that age," as victims and other players share personal stories. As noted by The New York Times, the words "gun control" do not appear in the ad. It ends, simply, with a link and a plea to end gun violence.

"It was very important for me to be a part of that," said Paul, whose standing as an eight-time all-star and president of the National Basketball Players Association makes him one of the league's most influential figures among fans and fellow players (via USA TODAY Sports). "Anytime I see that happen, the very first thing that I think of is my family, and having two kids, it's terrible to see kids and people losing their lives day in and day out because of gun violence."

In an email to The Washington Post, NBA spokesman Mike Bass noted the players' passion about this campaign.

"The PSA airing during our Christmas Day games highlights victims' and some of our players' experiences with gun violence and is solely to raise awareness about the issue and personal safety in our communities. Our players are passionate about trying to put an end to gun violence and trying to make their communities stronger and safer for kids and families."

The Times suggests that while the NBA's involvement shows that recent gun-related incidents "may be spurring even some generally risk-averse, mainstream institutions to action," the involvement with Bloomberg's organization could cause some issues for the league.

"The N.B.A. said it held little internal debate about working with Mr. Bloomberg's group. 'We know far too many people who have been caught up in gun violence in this country,' said Kathleen Behrens, the league's president of social responsibility and player programs. 'And we can do something about it.'

"But the decision may prove tricky for the league: While many of its teams are based in cities dominated by Democrats, a number of other teams - and millions of N.B.A. fans - hail from places where Mr. Bloomberg and his approach to guns are viewed with deep suspicion. Mrs. Behrens said the league had not shown the ads to team owners, but added, 'We're not worried about any political implications.'"