Men's Basketball | January 14, 2021

PHILADELPHIA—La Salle University's historic commitment to social justice will be on display next Monday when the Explorers host Big 5 rival Saint Joseph's University in a Men's Basketball game nationally televised by CBS Sports Network. 

The team will recognize the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., throughout their game, which coincides with the date of the federal holiday that each year honors the late civil rights leader. 

"Our University's mission has always been rooted in a call and commitment to core values of service, justice, and solidarity, and that remains true to this day," said La Salle University Director of Athletics and Recreation Brian Baptiste. "One of the things that attracted me to La Salle was its mission and that Lasallians everywhere stand with the marginalized and work toward equity. Dr King has always stood as a beacon of hope in those areas, and that's why it's both timely and appropriate that our University and Men's Basketball team honor him in this way and on this day." 

Court design: The court at Tom Gola Arena will feature a decal bearing Dr. King's silhouette, accompanied by the most poignant words of his iconic 1963 speech on the National Mall—"I Have a Dream." Positioned just across the mid-court line, on both the east and west sides of the arena, the decal recognizes one of the most symbolic moments of the American civil rights movement. 

Arena signage: The Explorers will affix two specially designed vinyl signs, 10 feet in height by 10 feet in width, to stanchions located behind the home and visiting teams' benches and the scorer's table at center court. 

• Atlantic 10 Conference logo: A reimagined A-10 logo representing the Explorers' conference affiliation, outlined in white and displayed on a field of black, will be displayed behind one of the team's benches. The logo features powerful expressions of social justice, support, and equality, including "Use Your Voice"; "Celebrate Differences"; "Be The Change"; and "BLM." 

• Unity Fist: Designed in collaboration with players and coaches from the La Salle Men's Basketball team, the Unity Fist logo combines a globally recognized symbol for solidarity with the words of Dr. King's aforementioned speech: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" 

Face masks: Throughout pregame warmups, the Explorers' players will wear face masks designed by La Salle Athletics. The masks will include the word cloud-style Unity Fist that will be visible behind the teams' benches and accompanied by the date of the game. In addition to the athletes, all La Salle coaches and team staffers will wear the masks, too. 

Scorer's table: A series of digital signage, featuring unifying symbols like the A-10's reimagined social justice logo and others, will rotate throughout the course of the game.