Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers believes NBA players can make a bigger impact on social issues if they are able to play basketball again.
Rivers, whose Clippers will be among the 22 teams partaking in the “bubble” games down in Orlando, Florida, spoke about how the NBA and its players will have a bigger platform to address the social issues in America once the “bubble” games begin at Walt Disney World.
Via Sabreena Merchant of Clips Nation:
“In this case, I believe it’s so important for us to play, I do,” Doc Rivers said on the “Flying Coach” podcast with Steve Kerr and Pete Carroll.
“I just think at the end of the day you can march and you can work, like most people are marching and working, we can do the same thing. But more importantly, it would give us an opportunity. A lot of us won’t have a voice if we don’t play, but I think if were allowed to play, then you will have a voice.
“I think we have an opportunity here to not only go and crown a champion, but we have an opportunity as a league to really put out a great message,” the Clippers coach continued. “There’s going to be a ton of responsibility every day for our guys to say the right thing, and so I love it, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Players such as Brooklyn Nets superstar point guard Kyrie Irving and Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Avery Bradley believe the return of sports will take the attention off of the Black Lives Matter movement. They aren't wrong to think that, as once people start watching sports again, they'll probably attend fewer protests.
However, Rivers makes a good point. Once the NBA comes back, players will be able to speak up about the racial injustices in America while they conduct their virtual interviews with the media, for example.
Back in 2014, Derrick Rose became the first NBA player to wear the “I Can't Breath” shirt. The only reason that shirt and movement went viral is that everyone across the world saw Rose don the shirt during a nationally televised game against the Golden State Warriors.
Rivers and the Clippers are in second place in the Western Conference standings. With All-Stars and California natives Kawhi Leonard and Paul George leading the way, the Clippers are legitimate title contenders once the “bubble” games begin on July 30.
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