NBA coaches, players react to breach of U.S. Capitol

The NBA community reacted strongly to images, video footage, and news reports of Donald Trump supporters storming the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Some questioned whether law enforcement officials demonstrate a double standard in their handling of peaceful protests involving people of color.

Ahead of the league’s 11-game slate on Wednesday, coaches and players around the NBA watched several shocking scenes unfold as groups of protestors broke through barriers and destroyed property inside the Capitol building.

“Clearly, it’s quite unsettling and sad,” commented Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers on Wednesday, before his team’s game against the Washington Wizards. “However, I keep hearing that this is an assault on democracy. It isn’t. Democracy will always triumph. This situation reveals a lot. You can recall the summer protests and the riots, the involvement of the police, the National Guard, and the Army, and then look at this situation where there was no such response. It essentially underscores the point about privilege in many ways.”

Rivers expressed his belief that many people are hesitant to voice the question he poses: “Imagine if the individuals storming the Capitol today were all black, what would have happened?” He suggests that the scenario paints a poignant image that can speak volumes, requiring us to confront it. He pointed out the absence of police dogs and billy clubs, with the crowd being peacefully escorted out, indicating that crowd dispersal can indeed be peaceful. However, he lamented that the day’s events were disheartening and detrimental to the country.

Rivers was not the only one who noticed the disparity in the law enforcement presence and actions during the Capitol protests on Wednesday, compared to the extensive resources used to suppress the Black Lives Matter unrest over the summer following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.

In Miami, before the Boston Celtics squared off against the Miami Heat, the players issued a joint statement and indicated there was some thought of not playing the nationally televised game.

In Milwaukee, both the Bucks and the Detroit Pistons deliberately committed turnovers on their initial possessions with all 10 players on the court taking a knee.

UNITED. pic.twitter.com/RCUuGY4HMN

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 7, 2021

Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce, based in Atlanta, stated that “it’ll never change” until the nation recognizes the disparity in how law enforcement handles people of color as opposed to non-minorities.

Pierce stated that change will not occur unless there is recognition of the historical mistreatment of African Americans, tracing back to slavery, Reconstruction, and the civil rights movement. He emphasized that one cannot expect change without acknowledging the problem. He pointed to the current situation as a stark reminder of the glaring disparities. He questioned why there are no instances of shootings, brutality, looting and such, while people nonchalantly roam around the Capitol building and occupy Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi’s office.

We all comprehend that if Black people were protesting, there would currently be guns and fires blazing. And this is only considering the outside, we haven’t even touched on the potential destruction of the building’s interior.

Pierce further stated, “No significant change can be expected until we accept the glaring disparity in the treatment of Black people by law enforcement. This acceptance has not yet taken place. We’ve been arguing over this, there have been protests against it. This is why people have been urged to vote and bring about a change in leadership. But unless the differential treatment of Black people in this country, particularly by law enforcement in situations like these, is genuinely recognized, no change can be anticipated.”

New Orleans Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy expressed similar sentiments, and posted a Tweet rhetorically asking how law enforcement would have handled Wednesday’s incident had it involved Black Lives Matters protesters.

“Would the federal authorities respond in the same way at the Capitol now if Black Lives Matter protesters were the ones physically breaking into the building?” wrote Van Gundy. “Recall the reaction in Oregon that was claimed to be necessary for the protection of federal property?”

Hired back in October to replace Alvin Gentry as head coach of the Pelicans, Van Gundy has long advocated for social justice, and once told Marc Spears of The Undefeated that “I only know about these issues, and these problems, and these inequities from people I’ve been associated with, work with, know, care about,” before adding that “just because something doesn’t happen to you, if it’s happening to people you know, if it’s happening to people you care about, you care about the issue.”

NBA TV analysts discuss the siege at the Capitol

Numerous active and inactive NBA players expressed comparable levels of concern on Twitter.

“An absolute disgrace what’s happening at the US Capitol right now,” Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love posted to Twitter. “And a blatant example of inequity in how law enforcement chooses to deal with those involved.”

What’s transpiring at the US Capitol currently is an absolute scandal. It also glaringly showcases the inequality in how law enforcement decides to handle those implicated.

— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) January 6, 2021

Jamal Crawford tweeted that “you do things like this when you know there is a certain privilege where nothing is gonna happen to you.”

Meanwhile, Chicago Bulls guard Garrett Temple tweeted that he was neither shocked or embarrassed by Wednesday’s events.

“Embarrassing” is a term I continue to see as I browse through my timeline,” wrote Temple. “However, I don’t feel embarrassed, surprised, or even shocked. To feel embarrassed would imply that I’m ashamed of what’s happening. But I don’t feel any such thing. These individuals in no way represent me.”

Scott Brooks, head coach of the Washington Wizards and Rivers’ opponent on Wednesday night, described Wednesday’s events as “sad and embarrassing.”

“What I’ve seen in the videos is repugnant,” stated Brooks. “We should strive to be superior to this. This place holds a unique significance. My hope is for the safety of everyone there, especially our fans. Such actions are not permissible and just unacceptable. This is the Capitol of America. The footage I saw should not be possible. It’s repugnant, humiliating, and should never occur. We are required to [play], it’s our duty. It consumes just a few hours of our day. We are all in agreement, it’s simply repugnant, but we need to improve. Democracy exists for a purpose. It’s the result of everyone’s struggles.”

NBAPA executive director Michele Roberts spoke to ESPN in the aftermath of Wednesday’s events, and like many of her colleagues around the league, pointed out the racial double standard that the breaching of the U.S. Capitol displayed to the entire country.

“We saw a Black police officer being chased, and players said to me, ‘So this is what they can do?’ And people don’t get this privilege stuff. I know how they’re feeling,” Roberts told ESPN. “I am so angry and pained — and refusing to cry. It reminded me of something that James Baldwin said, when asked what it was like to be a Negro in the United States of America. He said that if you’re conscious of what’s going on in the country, and you’re a Negro, you’re in a constant state of rage.

“On a day such as this, it’s the first thought I have. I can only express my gratitude in knowing that hopefully no one resembling me is heading to Capitol Hill to react to this situation. Because if they do, law enforcement’s response will be different. It’s a reality that you and I are both aware of.”

As I peruse my timeline, the term “embarrassing” keeps popping up. But I don’t feel embarrassed, shocked, or even surprised. Being embarrassed implies feeling shame about what’s happening. Such feelings are absent in me. These individuals are in no way representative of who I am.

— Garrett Temple (@GTemp17) January 6, 2021

When the NBA season 2019-20 resumed in July after a COVID-19 break, the league permitted the phrase “Black Lives Matter” to be painted on the courts. They also approved social justice messages on the players’ jerseys and allowed both coaches and players to kneel during the national anthem.

The league’s collective activism was on full display.

After the Jacob Blake shooting by law enforcement in Kenosha, Wisconsin back in August, the Milwaukee Bucks decided to not play their first-round playoff game against the Orlando Magic. On Tuesday, Kenosha (WI) County District Attorney Michael Graveley announced he would not bring charges against the police officer who shot and paralyzed Blake.

The announcement and Wednesday’s events at the U.S. Capitol building appeared to significantly undermine the efforts of the NBA and WNBA, who have been leading the charge in many respects.

Stephen Silas, the coach of the Houston Rockets, had difficulty expressing his thoughts on what the world saw at the U.S. Capitol building.

“It’s complex, with so many facets. You have the events at the Capitol building, the reasons behind them, and the methodology; the division and all the other factors,” said Silas. “Our country has a long-standing history of division along party lines. But it appears that currently, the division extends beyond politics to humanity itself. That’s the issue I’m wrestling with at the moment.”

Mark Daigneault, the coach of Oklahoma City Thunder, saw the incident as a sign of the significant progress still required in this country, beginning with some profound self-examination.

“Clearly, it’s both shocking and quite unbelievable. This is a wonderful nation,” said Daigneault. “However, there are moments when it’s difficult to identify with what we’ve become. The gap between our ideal selves, our perceived selves, and our actual selves can be substantial at times. This incident, along with numerous others in our recent past, serves as another potent reminder of the extent of progress we still need to make.”

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