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

Pictures, videos, and news stories of Donald Trump’s supporters storming the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday sparked intense responses from the NBA community. Some are questioning if there is a double standard in the way law enforcement deals with 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,” said Doc Rivers, coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, on Wednesday before his team’s game against the Washington Wizards. “However, I keep hearing people say this is an attack on democracy. It’s not. Democracy will always triumph. It reveals a lot, however. For instance, when you compare the summer protests and riots, where you saw the police, the National Guard, and the Army, to this situation where there was no such response, it essentially highlights the reality of privilege in many ways.”

Rivers made a statement, suggesting that many might be reluctant to do so. He questioned, “Imagine if those storming the Capitol today were all black people, what might have happened?” He emphasized that this image should be deeply thought-provoking for everyone and perhaps something that needs to be confronted. He acknowledged how the crowd was dispersed peacefully, with no police dogs or billy clubs involved. However, he lamented that it was still a tragic day and not beneficial for the nation.

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

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.

All 10 players on the court, representing the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons, intentionally took turnovers on their first possessions in Milwaukee, while they were kneeling.

UNITED. pic.twitter.com/RCUuGY4HMN

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 7, 2021

Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce, based in Atlanta, asserted that “it’ll never change” until the country recognizes the disparity in law enforcement’s treatment towards people of color, as opposed to non-minorities.

Pierce stated, “Things will never change unless there is an acceptance of the historical mistreatment of African Americans, tracing back to slavery, Reconstruction, and the civil rights era. You can’t expect change without recognizing the problem. What we see today serves as a stark reminder of the significant disparities that exist. The lack of shootings, brutality, looting, and the casual strolling around the Capitol building, even occupying the office of the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, underscores this point.”

We all acknowledge the fact that if the protestors were Black, there would likely be gunfire and fires already. Not to mention the havoc and destruction inside the building, if they were protesting outside.

Pierce added, “However, no change will occur until we recognize the significant disparity in the treatment of Black people by law enforcement. That recognition has not occurred yet. We have been contesting this, there have been protests about it. People have been urged to vote to change leadership for this very reason. But without genuinely acknowledging the disparity in the treatment of Black people in this country, particularly by law enforcement in situations like these, there will be no change.”

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 reaction at the Capitol be identical if Black Lives Matter protesters were the ones physically breaching the building?” wrote Van Gundy. “Recall the reportedly necessary response in Oregon to safeguard 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 shared similar 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 currently unfolding at the US Capitol is an utter disgrace. It’s a glaring demonstration of the inequities in the way law enforcement chooses to handle the participants.

— 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.

“Continually, I see the word ’embarrassing’ across my timeline,” wrote Temple. “But I’m neither embarrassed, surprised, nor shocked. To be embarrassed would imply feeling shame for the ongoing situation. I harbor no such emotion. These individuals are far from representing me.”

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

“We should strive for better. The content of these videos is simply revolting,” stated Brooks. “This place holds a special significance. I can only hope everyone there, particularly our fans, are safe. Such actions should not be permitted. They’re unacceptable. This is the Capitol of America. The actions I witnessed in the video shouldn’t be tolerated. It’s not only revolting but also humiliating and such incidents should be prevented from happening. Despite all this, we must continue to do our work. It takes up just a few hours of our day. We all share the same sentiments. It’s appalling, but we must aim to improve. Democracy exists for a purpose. It’s the very thing everyone has battled for.”

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 initial thought that surfaces. I can only express gratitude in the hope that no one who resembles me is going to Capitol Hill to react to this situation. If they do, the response from law enforcement will be different. This is something both you and I are aware of.

Perusing my timeline, the term “embarrassing” keeps cropping up. However, this doesn’t resonate with my feelings. I’m neither embarrassed, taken aback nor shocked. To be embarrassed would suggest that I am ashamed of the current situation, a sentiment I do not harbor. These individuals in no way reflect 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 inscribed on the courts. They also approved the display of social justice messages on 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 events at the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, along with that announcement, seemed to significantly undermine the efforts made by the NBA and WNBA, who have often been at the forefront of these initiatives.

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

Silas commented, “It’s complex with multiple layers. The happenings at the Capitol building form one layer, followed by the reasons behind it and the subsequent division and other issues. Our country has a long-standing history of political division. However, currently, it seems the division extends beyond politics to humanity itself. That’s the dilemma I’m currently wrestling with.”

Mark Daigneault, coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, saw the incident as a sign of how much more progress needs to be made in this country, beginning with some deep introspection.

“Daigneault clearly stated, “It’s shocking and quite surreal. We live in a wonderful country. However, there are moments when it becomes challenging to identify ourselves. Sometimes, the gap between our aspirations, our perceived identity and our actual identity becomes enormously wide. The recent sequence of events, including this one, serves as yet another reminder of the significant progress we still need to make.”

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