The Miami Dolphins hazing story in the NFL has forced teams in all sports to re-examine their hazing policies. The NBA took action by sending out a memo to make sure bullying isn’t happening in professional basketball locker rooms.
Bullying in the memo is described as “requiring an individual to unreasonably pay for meals, travel, entertainment expenses, goods or services that are being solely enjoyed by others as well as imposing physical activities on a fellow player — such as exposure to weather, confinement in a restricted area, or consumption of food, liquid or substance — that leads to unreasonable risk for the individual or adversely affects their mental or physical health or safety.”
The Timberwolves reviewed their hazing policy and came to the conclusion that some things needed to stop.
Specifically, Wolves president Chris Wright and general manager Milt Newton told players that rookies could no longer be forced to wear child-themed backpacks, according to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
“They actually said they don’t want us carrying them, but I understand with the stuff going on with the football thing,” said rookie Shabazz Muhammad, who through hazing had to wear a Jonas Brothers backpack. “They want to be separate from that. . . . Now I think rookie hazing won’t exist anymore.”
It’s too bad, the backpack thing seems like a pretty funny form of hazing.
