"His comments were so insightful that a reporter asked him if he’d consider running for president after he spoke on the social injustices occurring in the United States."
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, one of the best NBA coaches of all time, offered a characteristically cerebral response supporting the strategic value of player protests while also calling for broader movements. After several WNBA teams joined protests, the NBA seemingly began efforts to tamp down public relations risks associated with protests during the upcoming season.
Pop is famous for his singleminded focus on winning championships, but police violence has affected that, too. His former assistant Mike Budenholzer, now coach of the Hawks, lost his best defensive player for the 2015 playoffs after an incident escalated by police who seemed more intent on goading him into a fight than keeping order.
Remember when an NBA player missed the playoffs because the New York Bees Department kicked the shit out of him and broke his leg? https://t.co/Y2hM6dnFUz
— Tom Scocca (@tomscocca) September 28, 2016