LeBron James’ game-winning shot against the Golden State Warriors last May resulted in dozens of concession workers at the Warriors’ home arena, Chase Center, losing their health care for a month.
James hit a 3-pointer to help the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Warriors, 103-100, in a play-in game that sent them into a series against the Phoenix Suns, which they lost.
Awareness over the health care issue comes as those concession workers threaten to go on strike over a number of different grievances.
Presently, those workers must work 10 games per month in order to receive their health care benefits. At the time of James’ shot, they had worked seven, with a Warriors’ victory ensuring three more contests.
“LeBron hitting a three shouldn’t cost people their health coverage,” said Anand Singh, president of UNITE HERE local 2. “It’s absolutely ridiculous to take away workers’ health care in a pandemic over something that’s no fault of their own. That’s one of the reasons we have chosen to fight.”
On Sept. 4, 96.7 percent of the concession workers voted to go on strike after months of negotiations went nowhere.
James’ shot crushed the hopes of Warriors’ fans, though the financial impact they might have suffered was presumably minimal. It’s clear that the concession workers can’t say the same thing.
