Wolf Pack alum JaVale McGee to wear 'Respect Us' on jersey when NBA returns

When the NBA season restarts later this month, JaVale McGee will be playing for his third championship in four seasons, and he'll do so with a different name on his back.

The NBA is allowing players to exchange their last names for one of dozens of league-approve social justice phrases. While star teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis will keep their last names on their jersey, McGee is putting "Respect Us" on his back.

“Respect is a key factor in social injustices," McGee said on a Zoom press conference Saturday. "I feel like we definitely need to get equality. We definitely need to get the same respect everybody else does."

McGee, who played for Nevada from 2006-08 before turning pro after his sophomore season, said he feels a responsibility to use his platform to advocate for social change.

“I feel like we have way more of a voice playing basketball,” McGee said. “So I feel like this is the biggest platform where we can speak about social injustices and everything that we want to speak about. During the season, I feel like that’s the best time to talk about it, rather than the offseason."

McGee has suffered from asthma since his playing days at Nevada, which is an underlying condition with COVID-19, a respiratory infection still raging across the country. Still, McGee said he feels "safe" restarting the season in the NBA's Orlando bubble and didn't have second thoughts about whether he'd join the Los Angeles Lakers as the team aims for a title. One of his teammates, Avery Bradley, opted not to rejoin the team, citing COVID-19, and another teammate, Dwight Howard, considered not returning but ultimately did.

“I’ve been focused all year on one goal, and that’s winning an NBA championship," McGee said. "I feel like I’ve just got to keep going, and that’s the best thing for me. Just to keep focusing on what I can control right now. And the NBA is taking a lot of precautions when it comes to COVID, and everything they’re doing is top-notch here, so I feel safe.”

The Lakers currently own the top spot in the Western Conference and will play eight regular-season games before the start of the playoffs. McGee has started 61 of the team's 63 games and is averaging 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game on 64 percent shooting from the field. McGee won back-to-back NBA titles with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018 before signing with the Lakers the following offseason.

A native of Flint, Mich., which has had a clean water crisis in recent years, McGee has created the charity “JUGLIFE,” which battles the worldwide water crisis, including annual trips to build wells in Uganda, Africa. McGee said he's thankful basketball has allowed him to change the world.

“It’s just a blessing to be able to have this platform in the NBA,” McGee said. “I’m really excited about it.”