Sefolosha’s leg was broken and some ligaments were torn in the fracas, and he was arrested on several charges that a jury needed about 45 minutes to determine were unfounded. He wound up suing for $50 million, alleging his civil rights were violated, settled for $4 million and gave much of that money to a public defenders’ organization working in marginalized communities. Just wanted to take a moment to appreciate this. Thats a real man right there, Thabo.
Due to the system being unjust and corrupt that opens up the understanding that it is racist. Is every cop racist? I'm sure the truth is no. Granted there are a lot of good people doing the right thing in every position of authority it's just unfortunate the bad apples along with the the lack of effort to address the biases, misunderstanding, stereotypes, cultural differences and the hate cause this system to continue to hurt innocent black people at a higher rate as well as others. I personally think all police departments should do a deep background check on all their employees and get rid of any person who has or had any affiliation with any type of hate group. No different than if a law enforcement officer is involved in a family/domestic violence case... that officer is immediately put on suspicion until the case is resolved.
"People talk about a few rotten apples but you know, in my experience and from what we’re seeing, I think it’s deeper than that as a culture that’s deeply rooted in it, to be honest. I think it’s really part of a culture where it’s deeper than just a few bad apples."
PREACH! Same for you NFL, other sports leagues. Let’s talk about the Floyd statements put out by nearly every team, except the Knicks, who should be contracted. Many of the statements are aggressively passive, borderline insulting, and frankly weak. Only four teams even released statements that say Floyd was killed or murdered, and of those four, two were written by Black coaches. Most of the PR dumps refer to the “death of” Floyd, or his “loss,” as if he was magically lifted away and not choked out. In 2020, merely acknowledging systemic racism or social injustices or privilege is not some heroic act. These are ideas people, especially Black people, have been discussing for years. The Warriors put out a statement saying they “condemn, in no uncertain terms, racism and violence perpetrated against the Black community.” You really had to clarify that? Shouldn’t that be your default position already? At best, these types of statements are inoffensive. At worst, they impede change by serving as an illusion of progress without any action to back it up. Systemic and ingrained racism is a problem. It’s why white people with a felony conviction are more likely to get a job than a Black person without a criminal record, even if they have the same qualifications. But while police brutality is a manifestation of systemic racism, it’s still a distinct issue, and if sports organizations really want to start a conversation or look for solutions, then they have to recognize police violence as an issue and what can be done to fix it. These are the uncomfortable conversations society has to have if it wants to move forward from this moment. Calling racism systemic but not doing anything to break apart that system doesn’t help. Now is a popular time for organizations to say they aim to help but don’t know the solutions themselves. Meanwhile, the solutions to police brutality are being discussed. Defunding is a start. In Los Angeles, $1.86 billion has been allocated for the LAPD, a $120 million increase and more than triple the sum of the housing, streets, and transportation budgets. Defunding police departments may sound drastic to people who’ve lived their entire lives believing police exist to protect and serve, but that’s obviously not the case for every race. And federal interventions into policing on the procedural level have been ineffective, as both studies and the events of the last month have shown. Why am I singling out NBA teams? Well, let me start by saying this is everyone’s fight. It’s every sports organization, it’s every politician, it’s every citizen. But seeing so many teams from the “progressive” league put out these mind-numbing statements shows these organizations want to be seen as helpful, so they need to follow through with actions. Empty gestures are no longer cutting it. (I do want to commend the teams that have put out stronger statements, particularly the Pelicans, who acknowledged Floyd’s murder and cited the work they’ve done locally.)
A conversation with Mike D’Antoni about racism, empathy and change It’s a shame that it took yet another brutal killing of an unarmed African American at the hands of police, those whose literal job it is to serve and protect, but George Floyd’s death was different for some reason. Perhaps it was the culmination of years and decades of frustration, anger, and confusion. Maybe it was inhumane nature of it all—placing one’s knee on another person’s neck for nearly nine minutes—that brought us to a boiling point. Or maybe it was a stark reminder that every time we try to progress and advance in society, we are reminded that I and other African Americans just aren’t equal. Whatever it was, Floyd’s death impacted us deeper and reached farther than the streets of Minnesota, his Houston roots and even American soil. It’s a global problem, and enough is enough. One of the hallmarks of the NBA as an entity and association is its value as a vehicle of social activism. While the most recent notable case of blatant racism is ex-Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s comments about his African American players, the league has never been afraid to put its collective foot down and stand for what is right. In the days since Floyd’s death, there has been a unified response seen in all league facets. The National Basketball Coaches Association released a statement condemning the actions of Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, signed by every head coach and assistant coach in the league. As of Wednesday afternoon, all four have been formally charged, with Chauvin’s original third-degree murder charge being upgraded to second-degree. Besides the Coaches’ Association, star players like Stephen Curry and Jaylen Brown have taken to the streets to join in peaceful protests. Former player Stephen Jackson has been at the front of the line, speaking out on behalf of the Floyd family. Various owners, coaches, and teams have spoken out. Concerning Houston, various members of the organization have taken to social media to express their anger with police brutality and solidarity with the black community. Of the 17 players on the roster, 16 of them are black. Isaiah Hartenstein, the lone outlier, is actually half black—the son of a Caucasian mother and African American father. Not only is this a group dominated by the presence of African Americans, much like the rest of the league, but it’s also a team full of veterans. A good number of them are African American fathers, husbands, and valued members of their respective communities. A simple blanket group message wouldn’t suffice, not this time. In the four years Mike D’Antoni has served as the head coach, one of his most admirable qualities is the personal relationships he’s been able to establish with members of the roster. D’Antoni reached out to players individually to talk about the murder of Floyd and most importantly, to listen. “I’m just really horrified at the lack of understanding or compassion or empathy that we’ve developed in this country,” D’Antoni said in a phone call this week. “That’s what bothers me more than anything. The empathy that everybody’s born with but probably is taught differently—[and] it’s something that I think is super important—has gotten to a place where it’s not good. And it’s horrifying and it’s disgusting. I just hope that reforms will come and people will start listening and start feeling, start understanding. And I know it’s asking a lot this probably should have been done many years ago. Going forward, listen with an open heart, try to enact some reforms that will help everybody, not just a few.” The truth is while basketball fans and sports fans all over will revel in the NBA’s impending return, there are things far more important than play-in tournaments for the 8th seed, imagining what the new formats will look like, or who will even be crowned as this year’s champion. There are black lives at stake and black rights at risk. #BlackLivesMatter isn’t just some catchy hashtag or a trending topic. It’s real life. One frightening truth about life today is that racism really has no rubric, as seen in minorities for ages, and especially in this country, African Americans. Let me put it this way; there are those of you who subscribe to The Athletic that are of color, just as there are those of you that are white. For those that are white, ask black people you know and they’ll tell you: we all have a story. It really doesn’t matter your stature in society, the amount of money in your bank account, etc. I’ve been stopped at a store on the way out and accused of stealing chocolate, even though I was watched from the time I went in until I paid. I’ve been followed by security in a neighborhood I’ve lived in for two decades and questioned if I lived there. I’ve had officers get antsy after asking me to show registration and insurance. I’ve had guns drawn on me and been handcuffed for no reason. It happens. The good thing about the NBA is that people of power understand the influence and platforms they have. Head coaches aren’t supposed to just stand on the sidelines yelling at officials, figuring out rotations, and coming up with 82 ways to talk about games in a season. There’s an inherent responsibility off the floor, to lead groups of men. It’s something D’Antoni understands and takes very seriously, and wants his players to feel empowered as well. “ I believe that because there’s a big platform being a coach,” D’Antoni said. “I [have] a bigger responsibility, but everybody has that responsibility to be able to lead and have empathy and all that. So that should be your natural human instinct to be able to have that. Then when you’re given a platform, which luckily we have as Houston Rockets in the community, then you try to do what you can. Either bring light to a situation or help out either charitably or whatever it takes. You try to make it better because one person, you know, even if it’s one situation, can we make it a little bit better?” There has been an outpouring of support from other communities and people of different racial backgrounds. I had the opportunity to attend two peaceful protests in downtown Houston. While maintaining social distancing, I was able to see not only how diverse the city is, but how unified it’s been during these times. One thing that non-black people should take from these awful experiences, as the conversations circle back to inequality and systemic oppression, is that listening is twice as important as talking. D’Antoni is a white male tasked with leading a large group of African Americans. Just by sheer nature, their experiences are different. It’s important, not only for D’Antoni, but for all white people to simply try to understand and empathize with black people, rather than seek a debate or taking the conversation somewhere else. “I’m white,” D’Antoni said. “I can’t really say how I relate to it. But I can listen, understand, try to do the best I can not to be that way and help be a part of the solution, not the problem. Yeah. And just have that empathy for people that I have no idea day to day, minute to minute what they go through. I can see it and I can understand it. Until you feel fear you don’t know what that is, but it’s something that we should all strive to do. Just understand that and try to be better, better at things that are hard for us to understand that is real.” While a significant chunk of television media has devoted coverage to rioting and looting, the majority of demonstrations have been peaceful. In Houston, rapper Trae tha Truth organized a march from Discovery Green to City Hall, alongside the Floyd family. Upwards of 60,000 people joined in on the movement. People just want to be heard on these issues. They don’t want their voices to be suppressed under the fists of rage and racism. Now and in the future, D’Antoni wants his players to express themselves however they see fit—the freedom of speech is a human rights staple. “I think that’s what our country is founded on and I think there’s nothing wrong with that,” he said. “Any kind of peaceful protest is what you should do. And as long as your actions aren’t only in times of peace that you’re trying to make it better. You know, that you’re actively involved, not just in crisis. It’s also something that I just know you have to express yourself. You have to. We just have to do a better job in society of listening and enacting policies that help everybody, not just the privileged.”
And the bad apples do so much damage. They cost people lives. The cops involved with Thabo cost $4mil, impacted his livelihood and affected all the fans rooting for him and his fellow employees that depend on him.
This entire response is one big empty gesture. Minnesota is one big crappy Midwestern town. The police killed the one lone black man in minnesota. Can't see why anyone care? I thought he was sleepy floyd', former rockets guard. I'm more upset about Floyd Mayweather daughter stabbing people in Cypress, tx.
