Reporters got a hold of Gregg Popovich before the Spurs' match-up against the Cavs in Cleveland on Saturday, January 21, and got his thoughts on the massive protests that followed the Presidential inauguration. Popovich, who was an outspoken critic of Trump's campaign for office, expressed joy in seeing how many people came out for women's marches across the globe, and elaborated extensively on why he sees such actions as necessary.
The 5-time NBA champion coach pointed to Trump's low approval rating coming into office, and his loss of the popular vote to Hillary Clinton as clear indications that he has not been a unifying figure. He then shared the reasons for why he is having trouble believing that the 45th President will make true strides to be inclusive when dealing in leadership. "I'd just feel better if somebody was in that position that showed the maturity and psychological and the emotional level of somebody that was his age," he said. So as far as Popovich is concerned, he hasn't seen an effort made to reach across the diverse spectrum of Americans who have felt sidelined by his campaign, and thus he hasn't gained his respect.
"There is a difference between respecting the office of the Presidency and respecting who occupies it. And that respect has to be earned," said Popovich. "It's hard to be respectful of someone, when you know, we all have kids and we're watching him be misogynistic and xenophobic and racist, and make fun of handicapped people."
Source: youtube.com
