The Washington Wizards will celebrate the legacy of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, the day of the national holiday honoring him.
The celebration will be part of the Wizards-Detroit Pistons game at the Capital One Arena in Northwest. The game is presented by Amtrak and tipoff is 3 p.m.
As part of the NBA’s MLK Day celebrations, the Wizards will wear a special shootaround shirt that features King’s message that “the time is always right to do what is right.” Before the game, the team will hold a spoken word event at District E powered by Ticketmaster featuring Charity Blackwell, Orville the Poet, and Konshens the MC.
Former Wizards player Etan Thomas will sign limited copies of his book “More than an Athlete.” Doors are open from 1:30-2:30 p.m.
The Howard University Gospel Choir will sing the national anthem and entertain fans with a halftime performance, and Wizards guard Jared Butler will address the crowd before the game.
Also on that day, the team will honor Ben’s Chili Bowl co-founder Virginia Ali. A limited number of Ali bobbleheads will be available for those attending the game. The Wizards have donated $10,000 to the Ben’s Chili Bowl Foundation on her behalf.
Additionally, students at Benjamin Banneker High School will shadow executives with Monumental Sports & Entertainment as a part of National Mentoring Month and will be recognized in-game. The team will also host students from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School during the game, with each student taking home an “I am Martin Luther King Jr.” book by Brad Meltzer.
On Sunday, Wizards and Piston players will come together for a private screening of “The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks,” courtesy of the D.C. Public Library.