Addin Fonua-Blake could do worse than track down the phone number for Patty Mills' Orlando hotel room.

Maybe a chat with one of Australia's premier basketballers will make him understand the impact of his ignorance as the NRL player braces for a stint on the sideline.

Mills is the driving force behind the "We Got You" campaign which has seen some of Australia's top athletes join forces in an attempt to eliminate racism in sport, with Fonua-Blake's Manly Warringah teammate Daly Cherry-Evans among them.

So passionate about the cause is Mills, he will donate the $1.458 million he is due to earn in the revamped NBA season to Black Lives Matter Australia, Black Deaths in Custody and the We Got You campaign.

The impact of such a move cannot be understated and it highlights the power of an athlete's voice when it comes to sparking social change for any cause.

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mills has for so long been passionate about bringing the plight of our First Nations people into the public eye. So powerful is his voice that AFL star Patrick Dangerfield has joined the We Got You campaign in the hope it ends with those three words on every club guernsey, on every field, court, pitch and pool.

The pair were joined by Scott Sio, Peter Siddle, Erin Phillips, Jordan Kahu, Romelda Aiken, Simon Goodwin, Lydia Williams, Joe Ingles and Cherry-Evans to bolster the battle against racism.

Sport has arrived at a crossroads. Around the world people are taking notice.

West Indies captain Jason Holder and his teammates took a knee and raised clenched fists inside black gloves moments before Test cricket's return in England.

The NFL's Washington Redskins are considering a name change prior to the start of the 2020 season following calls from fans, politicians and business partners. Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians are reviewing their own moniker.

The upheaval comes in the wake of movements to end racism. Team names relating to Native Americans have been criticised for decades but uniform change has never come. It is a sign the movement is making a difference.

But it is crucial we continue to follow the lead of someone like Mills, because the plight will not end overnight. To say "we got you" and move on does little.

It will still leave someone like South Sydney Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell feeling like he has a target on his back, one that emerged after he stood silent during the Australian national anthem. He was condemned for doing so while every other athlete who had stood with closed lips has been relegated to an afterthought.

It will still leave someone like Carlton sensation Eddie Betts to be the victim of online slurs. It makes the Mills-led movement so crucial to progression in society.

"It was an emotional conversation, to say the least," Mills posted on social media.

"But what rose above our emotions was our unified commitment to listen, learn and make actionable changes today that will affect the safety, well-being and success of our fellow minority athletes tomorrow.

"These changes are not limited to just sport. Making changes in your everyday life is not complicated or expensive. They are changes we can all make."

Having people like Mills at the forefront of the conversation has the potential to make an undeniable impact. But for all of its power, the voice of an athlete comes with its pitfalls.

Fonua-Blake caused a major stir when he called referee Grant Atkins a "f---ing retard" following the Sea Eagles' loss to Newcastle last week, before referring to match officials as "a bunch of spastics" soon after.

The 24-year-old front-rower is already set to miss two games in the fallout, but acting NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo saw the poor behaviour as a chance to educate him in the hope it can have "a lifelong impact".

As such Fonua-Blake will be a volunteer referee in wheelchair rugby league and pay a $20,000 fine for use by a wheelchair rugby league club for breaching the NRL's anti-vilification code.

If he still doesn't understand the gravity of such comments, Fonua-Blake is naive. He should take this as an opportunity to learn.

"Ignorance is not an excuse for the responsibility our professional players carry. There is no tolerance for comments like we witnessed on Sunday,'' Abdo said.

"The focus of this penalty is about rehabilitation and education, it's not punitive. I do not believe Addin missing more matches will enhance his understanding or respect for people with a disability, but embarking on a program such as this will have a lifelong impact on his thinking.

"I see this as an opportunity to provide positive change for Addin and his experiences will also rub off on the broader playing group.

"Increasing the suspension is an easy decision but what is more important is driving change in attitudes. Sport has a responsibility to drive community change."

Just like Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart is doing via his foundation which helps families with disabled children.

The Ricky Stuart Foundation strives to create awareness and to support the aftercare of autistic people, raising funds to provide downtime for families and their daily struggles.

Things like this are why we don't tell an athlete to get back in their box and worry about putting a ball in a hoop or over a line. Sport can spark change. Let it.