Americans have a cultural fascination with the idea that sports are a meritocracy, where the only ingredients for success are physical prowess and a burning will to win. This mythology is strong within basketball culture, as legends like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and others have become revered for their aggression, unwavering ambition, and exceptional work ethic.
What this narrative erases, however, is that athletes are people who face many of the same barriers as the rest of us — both physical and social. Athletes of color, for example, face racist people and structures, as do other people of color — a fact that is not discussed often enough at both amateur and professional levels within...
