What Does "Group Economics" Mean to Miami Heat's Andre Iguodala?
Updated Sept. 30 2020, 4:45 p.m. ET
For the 2020 NBA season, which has taken place in the Orlando, Fla. bubble, most players have selected racial justice phrases to don the backs of their jerseys. A few of the more popular "approved" phrases include: "Black Lives Matter," "Say Their Names," "Power to the People," and "Enough is Enough," however, one Miami Heat player chose a less-popular phrase that has left some fans slightly confused.
Why did Miami Heat swingman Andre Iguodala pick the phrase "Group Economics" for the back of his jersey? We've broken down the meaning of the phrase, and how it applies to the battle for racial justice.
What does "group economics" mean? In context, it makes total sense.
Although the phrase "group economics" may sound like a reference that only financial advisers would understand, it actually has an important meaning in the realm of racial justice. Creative Group Economics defines the phrase as "one group of people who have a common economic interest. That group agrees to actively and consciously pursue that economic interest together to create a sustainable and secure economy for themselves."
Group Economics, according to Clutch Points, refers to the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses, which is commonly practiced in the Black community, in an effort to support the Black population as a whole. Andre Iguodala says the phrase is especially meaningful to him because he believes that building wealth within the Black community will help in the realm of education, jobs, and housing.
“We’re still trying to make equal grounding for our next generation,” Andre said in an interview with USA Today. “Right now we’re part of the progress, but we have to continue to think bigger than ourselves with a lot of our decisions. We’re in a position where we can gain some wealth being professional athletes. But at the same time, the majority of our people are still bogged down in an oppressive state. So we have to pull them up with us.”
Andre isn't the only NBA player who decided to choose the less-common jersey phrase.
Although "group economics" happens to be one of the less popular "approved phrases" for the 2020 NBA jerseys — with "Black Lives Matter" and "Equality" being the top two most common choices — Andre isn't the only one who ultimately decided to go with it. Memphis Grizzlies forward Anthony Tolliver also chose the less popular phrase, according to GQ.
Although both Andre and Anthony had initially thought the phrase was some sort of joke, they both ended up doing a little research on it, and developed a genuine appreciation for it. Sacramento Kings forward Jabari Parker also apparently claimed the phrase for his jersey after learning about the meaning behind it. Needless to say, "group economics" is incredibly important in the Black community, and fits perfectly into the list of approved phrases.
"Group economics" may not be as outright as the other approved jersey phrases, but it definitely has an important meaning behind it. That being said, we're seriously loving the phrase selection for the 2020 NBA jerseys as a whole.