Pope salutes NBA 'champions' for work on racial justice during Vatican meeting

• Pope Francis invited players to Vatican City for reception
• NBA players led protests against social injustice this summer

Pope Francis lauded a delegation of NBA players who met him at the Vatican on Monday as champions" and said he supported their work on addressing social injustice.

Five players - Marco Belinelli, Sterling Brown, Jonathan Isaac, Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver - were joined by NBA players' union executive director Michele Roberts and two other union executives, Sherrie Deans and Matteo Zuretti.