The voices of NBA professionals were once again heard loudly across all fields, now to unanimously condemn the riots and the assault on the Capitol in Washington, happened this Wednesday.
In the same way that NBA players and coaches condemned and denounced racial injustice and policing while in the Orlando bubble, this time they did so across the entire country, where 11 games were played.
The first voice heard was that of the Philadelphia 76ers coach, Doc Rivers, who was once invited to speak at a rally of Joe Biden after the president-elect used his words in an October speech, calling for racial unity in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Rivers again denounced the rampant crowd Wednesday in Washington, though he cautioned that “Democracy will prevail.”
“I’ll say it because I don’t think many people want: Can you imagine today if they were all black, storming the Capitol and what has happened?Rivers wondered.
“For me, it is an image that is worth a thousand words for all of us to see. It is something that we must take into account, once again, without police dogs attacking people, or clubs beating people. People peacefully escorted out of the Capitol. It shows that you can disperse a crowd peacefully, I guess, “argued Rivers.
The new coach of the Sixers, before the game that his team played and won by 141-136 at the Washington WizardsHe said, “As an older black man, I’ve seen police dogs unleashed on people, and then you see today where there’s nothing, and that’s an emotion that I have, right?”
For his part, the Wizards coach, Scott Brooks, declared that it was “disgusting” to see the mob storming the Capitol. “We should be better than all that.”
The star point guard of the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry, through his social networks reminded President Donald Trump what he had said about how to act against the protesters of the “Black Live Matter” movement.
Trump criticized the protesters for being “violent” and called for the participants to be arrested, prompting Curry to send a message to the Republican president, asking him if he was going to say the same about the riots they staged his supporters on Capitol Hill.
Trump incited his supporters at a rally, telling them never to accept defeat, shortly before the riots broke out.
Trump supporters marched on Capitol Hill as Congress verified the electoral college results that would make Biden the nation’s 46th president.
The mob pushed the police and stormed the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to go out to safety and temporarily suspend the session.
More critical and direct was the Warriors coach, Steve Kerr, who before the game that his team played against the Los Angeles Clippers, in San Francisco, said that the only person responsible for what happened was President Trump.
“The lies about the theft of the elections that came from his mouth directly influenced and incited the assault on the Capitol building,” Kerr denounced. “What happened is a reminder that the truth matters and should not be allowed to continue deceiving to people with permanent lies for four years and more from power. “
Kerr is a prominent activist, passionate about establishing laws that prohibit the possession of firearms, and fighting for social justice.
He is a member of the NBA group that last summer formed the Trainers for Racial Justice. Among other members of the committee led by the coach Lloyd Pierce (Atlanta), Gregg Popovich (San Antonio) and Rivers (Philadelphia).
Kerr also praised the great work done by the Women’s League (WNBA) and NBA players who allowed Georgia could win both senatorial seats that were in the power of the Republicans and Biden obtained eight million votes more than Trump in the last presidential elections.
“It’s amazing that today’s athletes – players in the WNBA, NBA, all different sports – feel comfortable and confident speaking their minds,” Kerr stressed. “Also, trying to help create change in this country in areas where they feel change is necessary. It is very, very inspiring.”
Before the game began, the Warriors and Clippers players knelt as the national anthem played and wore their jerseys. “Black Live Matter”.
Also in Miami, Heat and Boston Celtics players knelt during the performance of the national anthem and had previously discussed the possibility of not playing the match in protest of the Kenosha (Wisconsin) prosecutor’s decision not to charge charges against the police officer who shot in the back Jacobs Blake, a black man, when they were going to arrest him.
The protest of the players, who supported the coaches of the Celtics, Brad Stevens, and the Heat, Eric SpoelstraIt was also because of what happened Wednesday afternoon at the Capitol.
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