Rivers: Plans are to get all NBA players registered to vote in bubble
Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers says his goal is to ensure every NBA player and coach at the league's Florida campus is registered to vote in November's election.
"Let's walk the walk, we can't just do the talk," Rivers said at his Saturday media availability. "I think it was 20% of the players voted in the last election, or something like that. We're going to get them registered here in the bubble, and try and get every team registered and every player registered to vote."
In the statement that announced the resumption of playoff games Friday, the NBA and NBPA said that as many league arenas as possible will be made available as voting stations for local constituents. Rivers pointed out Saturday that players have to do their part.
"It's so difficult for players because most of the time (elections are) in the middle of the season, and players are from so many different states that it's a lot of absentee voting. And we're going to get them all done. We want to get it up into the 80s, 90s, 100 if possible, percentile in terms of players and coaches voting."
Eligible voter turnout in U.S. presidential elections has only been recorded above 60% twice since 1972, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
LeBron James has also launched the voting initiative "More than a Vote," which aims to fund poll workers in Black communities.
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