NBA’s Shawn Hils discusses importance of crisis communication

Kristen Roberts, Reporter

Shawn Hils, senior director in the communications department of the National Basketball Association, came to UK Nov. 10 to give the annual James C. Bowling Executive-in-Residence Lecture.

Speaking in the Worsham Cinema, Hils discussed crisis communication with UK students, as well as how recent events such as the pandemic and social justice protests have shown how this topic and his job are more than necessary.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020, was when COVID-19 started visibly spreading in the world of basketball, and at 9:30 p.m. that day, the NBA announced its suspension of the season.

“That was just one day, but for a lot of us, that was when the world kinda started to change,” Hils said.

Hils went on to describe how political leaders were urging people to stay calm in this time of uneasiness.

“Things were starting to get a little bit real,” Hils said.

Hils said he and his team were somewhat ahead of the situation, but many didn’t realize they would have to shut down the whole season. The suspension was called a “hiatus” and an all hands on deck situation for the coming days.

Hils was in charge of gathering information released by the CDC, White House and other organizations during this time. He and his team fulfilled their social responsibilities by having players communicate with fans through public service announcements, encouraging them to stay safe during this time.

“We also had owned a program where we contributed over $100 million to all the arena workers that were out of work,” Hils said. Since arenas were shut down, they knew many would be struggling.

Hils’ team also donated personal protection equipment to health workers, as well as 9 million meals to communities in need.

The NBA’s next steps were uncertain, but there was an underlying business decision. As many people were isolated at home, some saw sports as an outlet, and many people encouraged them to restart.

“So after 141 days … we decided to set up camp in Orlando on 9,000 acres, and it was what you all know as the bubble,” Hils said. “I’ve never felt safer.”

After a strenuous season, the NBA was left wondering how they could contribute to the public good. Since August 2020, the NBA has contributed to over 10 scientific studies.

“We partnered with Harvard and Yale,” Hils said. “These studies are on transmission of the virus and also efficacy of the vaccines.”

They started to have the idea that we all have a responsibility to contribute to something.

Though the summer of “converging crises” had many things going on, Hils specifically highlighted the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020.

“There was a video of a white police officer kneeling on a Black man’s neck for eight minutes,” Hils said. “That is something that shocked me; it shocked the league, it shocked the country. I think it shocked the world.”

Hils said that the NBA has one overarching mission: to inspire and connect people through the game of basketball. It believes that the strong platform they have should be used to address issues such as these.

Players and teams across the country involved in the NBA made statements and participated in protests. “We saw many members of the NBA take to the streets and use their voices,” Hils said.

“As a communications department … we decided to use that platform … to raise awareness and make our position known, and that means that Black Lives Matter,” Hils said.

This is something where “awareness is only part of it,” Hils said. There is more to the solution.

“Another incident happened in August … Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot by a police officer,” Hils said.

A playoff game was set to play that night, when the players went on a strike, one minute to tip-off the court was empty.

Some players came out of the locker room and made a statement that, “this wasn’t a time for basketball … enough is enough,” Hils said.

Players across the world took the same actions, and many athletes forfeited games and canceled practices.

After an intense players-only meeting, a group of NBA players made a decision.

“Everyone knows about racism (and) social justice issues, but what are we actually gonna do about it?” Hils said.

Once these players set out their intentions, they talked to coaches and others, and they decided to resume playoffs.

“That was with the understanding … each team would contribute $10 million to the NBA Foundation,” Hils said.

The foundation was meant to fund empowerment and economic opportunities in Black communities. Hils said this league does so much for so many people, and that is what makes his job worth it.

“Sports can be a powerful … unifier; I think that’s kind of the basis of what this work is about,” Hils said.