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

The NBA community responded strongly to pictures, videos, and news stories of Donald Trump supporters storming the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Some members questioned if there is a double standard in the way law enforcement treats 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 very disturbing and sad,” said Doc Rivers, the coach of 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. I don’t agree. Democracy will always prevail. It’s revealing, though. Comparing the summer protests and the riots, the response from the police, the National Guard and the Army, and then looking at this situation where there was virtually no response, it really highlights the privileges some people enjoy.”

Rivers added, “I’ll voice it because I believe not many people are willing to. Can you picture what would have happened if it was a crowd of black people storming the Capitol today? That image is worth a thousand words to me and perhaps something we need to confront. Once more, there were no police dogs set on people, no billy clubs striking individuals; people were escorted out of the Capitol peacefully. It demonstrates that crowd dispersal can be done peacefully, I assume. However, it’s a somber day in many respects; it’s unfavourable for our country.”

Rivers was not the only one highlighting the disparity in the law enforcement presence and actions during the protests at the Capitol on Wednesday, compared to the extensive resources used to suppress the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted following the death of George Floyd 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.

In Milwaukee, both the Bucks and the Detroit Pistons intentionally made turnovers on their first 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 the way law enforcement handles people of color as compared to non-minorities.

Pierce said, “The situation will remain the same unless there’s recognition of the historical treatment of African Americans, tracing back to slavery, Reconstruction, and the civil rights era. We can’t expect change if we don’t admit there’s a problem. What we see today illustrates a significant disparity. There’s a reason why incidents involving shootings, brutality, looting, and such don’t occur while people are casually roaming around the Capitol building and occupying Nancy Pelosi’s office as if it’s commonplace.”

“We all acknowledge that if Black people were the ones protesting, there would be rampant gunfire and raging fires at this moment. And that’s not even considering the potential damage to the building’s interior if they were the ones protesting both outside and inside.”

Pierce emphasized that no significant change will occur until we recognize the substantial disparity in the treatment of Black individuals by law enforcement. He stated that despite ongoing debates and protests, as well as calls for people to vote for new leaders, this problem persists. According to Pierce, until there is a genuine acceptance of the differential treatment faced by Black people in America, particularly in interactions with the police, the situation will remain the same.

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.

“Van Gundy wrote, ‘Would the federal reaction at the Capitol be the same if Black Lives Matter protestors were the ones physically breaking into the building? Let’s recall the response in Oregon, which was justified as necessary 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 voiced 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.”

It is absolutely disgraceful what is transpiring at the US Capitol at this moment. It is also a glaring demonstration of inequality in the manner in which law enforcement decides to handle the individuals involved.

— 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.

“Constantly, I see the term ’embarrassing’ on my timeline,” wrote Temple. “But I’m neither embarrassed, surprised, nor even shocked. If I were embarrassed, I would feel a sense of shame for what is happening. I have no such sentiment. The people involved don’t remotely 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 witnessed in the videos is utterly appalling,” stated Brooks. “We ought to rise above this. This location is significant. I sincerely hope that everyone involved, including our fans, are safe. Such behavior is intolerable and should not be permitted. This is the Capitol of America. The actions I saw on video are not only revolting and shameful, but they should never occur. We have an obligation to proceed. This is our duty. It only takes a few hours of the day. We all share the same sentiment. The situation is revolting, but we must strive to improve. Democracy exists for a reason. It’s the embodiment of what everyone has fought 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 as such, it’s the foremost thought. My gratitude lies in the hope that no one resembling me will have to address this on Capitol Hill. If they do, law enforcement’s response will undoubtedly differ. This is a fact well known to both you and me.”

I keep encountering the term “embarrassing” as I scroll through my timeline. However, I feel neither embarrassment, surprise, nor shock. The implication of being embarrassed is feeling shame about the current situation, which is not what I’m experiencing. I don’t identify in the slightest with these individuals.

— Garrett Temple (@GTemp17) January 6, 2021

When the NBA season for 2019-20 resumed in July after a break due to COVID-19, the league permitted the phrase “Black Lives Matter” to be inscribed on the courts. They also endorsed the display of social justice messages on the back of the players’ jerseys, and permitted 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 seemed to significantly undermine the efforts made by the NBA and WNBA, who have largely led the charge in many respects.

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

“It’s a complex situation with numerous aspects to consider. From the events unfolding at the Capitol building, to the reasons behind these events and the methods employed, it’s all contributing to the existing division and other related issues,” said Silas. “Our country has a lengthy history of division along political lines. However, currently, it appears the division extends beyond politics into humanity itself. This is the challenge I’m currently wrestling with.”

Mark Daigneault, the coach of Oklahoma City Thunder, saw the incident as an indication that much progress still needs to be made in this country, beginning with profound reflection.

Daigneault stated, “Undeniably, the situation is both shocking and bizarre. We live in a wonderful country. However, there are moments when it’s difficult to identify ourselves due to the significant gap between our aspirations, our self-perception, and our actual identity. The current situation, following a series of recent events, illustrates the considerable journey we still have to undertake.”

* * *