San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was willing to oblige questions on the possibility of a protest movement arising in the NBA, in the manner which it has throughout the NFL over the past several weeks, on Monday, September 26. Players and coaches from around the league have been addressing inquiry into the Kaepernick question, as reporters moved in to get their take during the league's ceremonious "Media Day." Popovich, who is known for his one-word responses, expanded at length on the topic, acknowledging there to be a problem at hand and saying that he will leave it up to his players to choose what they want to do during the National Anthem.
“I think race is the elephant in the room in our country. The social situation that we’ve all experienced is absolutely disgusting in a lot of ways," Popovich said, noting that the issue at hand is one that is centuries deep, and must not be addressed in a reactionary fashion. He then went on to say that while he understands the stance athletes have been taking, and respects their courage, he is unsure of how effective protesting will be seeing how from Dr. Martin Luther King to the transgender bathroom law in North Carolina, change has depended on political pressure to force the will of the law.
Pop went on to break down how he sees the complexities of police violence, introducing the failures of gun control into the equation to infer that it goes beyond the abuse of power by some cops, with the general atmosphere of violence in economically stressed areas leaving police feeling vulnerable and more susceptible to jump the gun in an encounter. He continued to stress the need to have the discourse be a solution-based one, but all the while did credit those taking a stand for keeping the conversation going and helping to raise awareness. “At this point, when somebody like Kaepernick brings attention to this, and others who have, it makes people have to face the issue because it’s too easy to let it go because it’s not their daily experience. If it’s not your daily experience, you don’t understand it. I didn’t talk to my kids about how to act in front of a policeman when you get stopped. I didn’t have to do that. All of my black friends have done that," he said.
Coach Popovich's response falls in line with that provided by Coach Steve Kerr during a Golden State Warriors press conference earlier in the week. “It doesn’t matter what side you’re on, on the Kaepernick stuff, you better be disgusted about things that are happening," said Kerr.
Source: blog.mysanantonio.com
