During Game 1 of the NBA Finals, which the Lakers won easily (116-98) and the Miami Heat ran into a litany of injuries to their stars, the NBA hosted a special group of fans in the “Michelob ULTRA Courtside” virtual fan seats during Game 1 of the 2020 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers.
President Barack Obama joined the virtual fan section in the first quarter and surprised 40 first-time poll workers, a group of NBA Champions and fans, and spoke to the group about the importance of voting and ways to ensure that everyone can vote safely in the upcoming election. Visit Vote.NBA.com #NBAFinals #WholeNewGame @NBA @NAACP_LDF
This is big time! Shouts to 44 for leaning in with @morethanavote 🙏🏾 https://t.co/nOYYclAqsS
— Renee Montgomery (@ReneeMontgomery) October 1, 2020
The star-studded virtual fans list included a who’s who of NBA Champions: Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Manu Ginobili, Pau Gasol, Ray Allen, Robert Horry, Robert Parish, Shaquille O’Neal, Chauncey Billups, Paul Pierce
- The first-time poll workers were identified by More Than a Vote as part of their “We Got Next Campaign” with Power the Polls and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
