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Hall of Fame center and current TNT NBA analyst Shaquille O'Neal weighed in on the shocking riot Wednesday at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. Calling the incident an “attack on our democracy,” O'Neal joined a chorus of athletes, particularly in the NBA, that have pointed out the differing responses given by police forces across the country when dealing with largely minority crowds versus white ones.
Watch O'Neal's response to the Capitol riots for yourself below (via Bleacher Report):
"If you have to ask yourself what if that was Black people, you know there's a problem."
Shaq speaks out on the pro-Trump mob breaching the Capitol yesterday
(via @NBAonTNT)pic.twitter.com/OpNUsIlhG8
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 8, 2021
While other major sports leagues have generally sought to avoid wading into political issues, the NBA is unique in how outspoken the Association has been in its commitment to social justice and other causes. The Capitol has provided another occasion for speaking up.
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Joining O'Neal in his condemnation of the violence at the Capitol and voicing their displeasure at the disparity of the federal response, players across the league issued statements. Among them was Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, who, according to The Athletic, told reporters:
“Imagine if a mob of Black people wanted to go in the White House. Imagine what'd happen. It'd be tear gas. It'd be rubber bullets. … But they get to go in the (Capitol), taking pictures and taking items from the (Capitol). Just imagine if Black people did that.”
Notably, in addition to Adebayo's strong statement, both the Heat and Boston Celtics–who were playing a game Tuesday night during the events at the Capitol–walked off the court during pregame warmups and collectively discussed boycotting the match. While the game eventually proceeded, and the Celtics organization released a statement condemning the riots and lack of charges in the killing of Jacob Blake, the incident was yet another example of players utilizing their platform in pursuit of social justice.
While Shaquille O'Neal may no longer be an active player, he has very clearly joined in solidarity with those still on the court after the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
