Popovich - "we live in a racist country that hasn’t figured it out yet”

Are you sure? I'm asking sincerely because I genuinely think we plateaued in the 90s and started becoming more divisive in terms of race and ethnic relations ever since 9/11/2001. The divisiveness accelerated when Obama was elected also.

 

You aren't racist. You just never have a clear coherent premise and jump and move goal posts around like they are made of paper mache.

 

How much of this do you attribute to the internet? Are people more racist, or is the racism just easier to broadcast?

I honestly don't know.

 

I doubt you've experienced an ideological bubble that is the complete opposite of your world views as I did for four damn years living in Marine Infantry barracks.

 

The interent definitely highlights the issue AND recruits.

 

Why do you give a ****? They're not creating or enacting governmental policies. They're not legislating.

Do you also get pissed when your plumber doesn't have "good" political opinions?

 

Wait....Van Gundy claims the one and done rule racist and you object. Yet you call the folks who are responsible for that rule "slave masters".

 

You got caught in his whackadoodle 'reverse' race baiting.

Not sure if he takes those remarks serially himself. It's more like he smells hypocrisy but can't pin the tail on the donkey

 

LOL... ok. Agree to disagree, I guess.

I think that Stan Van Gundy (and any other American) can talk about absolutely whatever the hell he or she wants to... Your criticism feels especially needless when you consider that SVG's employer (i.e. The Pistons and the NBA) are completely fine with it. It's not like it's happening during the game, inhibiting your ability to enjoy it.

Let freedom of speech be free, bro. You don't like what someone has to say, you don't have to listen.

 

Considering you consider me a liberal, it goes to your intelligence as well. It's not hard to understand all sides of an issue and make choices accordingly. It's not hard to not be in lock step with a political party or agenda based on one's political preference.

Again, you compare NBA owners to slave owners, thus implying players are slaves, yet your comments aren't racist. SVG suggesting that not allowing a player to go directly to the NBA (and correctly identifying the vast majority of those players who could/would do that as black) while baseball players routinely go from high school to professional baseball with no complaints is, in your opinion, racist.

 

What I think doesn't matter. There are plenty of unqualified people shouting all kinds of political rhetoric at or near me that I don't agree with. The only bits of it that bother me come from people with actual power... not my plumber, mechanic, co-worker, convenience store clerk, or even my NBA coach.

Do I think that Stern and the NBPA were deliberately and overtly being racist by creating the one-and-done rule? Probably not... but if I was an 18 year old NBA prospect that couldn't avail my services to the highest bidder for no other reason than basketball was my sport, it wouldn't seem insane to me. Perspective matters.

In that vein, and I could be wrong, I would venture to guess that you've talked to fewer young, elite African American athletes than SVG has. He's a head coach in the NBA and you're (like me) a Clutchfans commenter. Although I hold the latter in absolute esteem, I'm probably going to inform my basketball opinions with the former.

 

I am not as familiar with the entire situation as SVG, so I don't have the insight he does. As a fan I've never given it much thought and at face value it doesn't fit the definition of racism. That being said, to deny someone an opinion is ridiculous, especially someone who has first hand knowledge of the league and its rules.

Why is it OK for you to think an organization that you have no intimate knowledge of is racist, yet SVG can't voice his opinion regarding the organization he works for when ASKED A QUESTION BY A REPORTER?