Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers challenged Senator Josh Hawley to acknowledge the Black Lives Matter Movement in the wake of his incident with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski apologized to Hawley after he responded with a blatant “F*** you” when the Missouri Republican blasted NBA commissioner Adam Silver for “kowtowing to Beijing and refusing to support U.S. military and law enforcement.” Many agreed that Wojnarowski was in the right, despite his apology.
Rivers met with members of the media on Saturday and was asked about how to improve, or eradicate, racial inequality in the country. Here's his response, which included a message for Senator Hawley, via ClutchPoints' Tomer Azarly.
“We have a senator that tweets at Woj yesterday just because he was talking about what we were going to put on the back of our jersey. And they always try to turn it into the military or the police. There's no league that does more for the military than the NBA.
“But how that about this Senator? I'll make a challenge: We will do things for the troops as long as he acknowledges that Black Lives Matter. I think that would be really cool for him to do. You know, it's funny, whenever we talk about justice, people try to change the message. Colin Kaepernick kneels; it had nothing to do with troops. It had to do with social injustice, and everyone tried to change the narrative.
“How about staying on what we are talking about and dealing with that, instead of trying to trick us or change or trick your constituents? How about being real? I guarantee you, we've done more for the military than probably that senator. And I guarantee you this: We also are going to do things for Black Lives Matter. How about him? Maybe he should join into that.”
The NBA is planning to paint “Black Lives Matter” on the court in all three arenas that it will use at the Walt Disney World Resort when it resumes the 2019-20 season on July 30. Players can also put statements on the back of their jerseys.
The Clippers will play eight seeding games before the 2020 playoffs begin, as will all the other 21 teams partaking in the “bubble” games.
Rivers and the Clippers, who have already clinched a spot in the 2020 playoffs, will face the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder in the eight seeding games.
Most pundits expect the Clippers and Lakers to meet in the 2020 Western Conference Finals.
For the first time in franchise history, the Clips are title contenders with Kawhi Leonard and fellow California native Paul George leading the way. The team racked up 44 wins before the season was suspended in March.
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