San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich spoke on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday's holiday in his name.
Pop dropped effusive praise on Dr. King:
“He's basically like a modern founding father in a sense,” Popovich said, via Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report. “He's the conscience of the country, trying to see equal justice for everyone. Especially the Black population that's been so egregiously downtrodden.”
But the Spurs coach also hinted at the sadness of honoring Dr. King, adding he feels the civil rights activist would be saddened by the state of race relations in the United States today:
“I think he'd be pretty sad to see all the work he did 50 years ago, this administration try to trample on it and demolish it,” Popvich said, via Highkin. “The savage attacks on Black bodies that have not stopped and become more blatant. I think that would sadden him.”
This MLK holiday might take on extra meaning for the Spurs and the rest of the NBA given the events of last summer.
Multiple unarmed black men were victimized by police violence, prompting nationwide protests. Players and coaches around the NBA took part in these protests, also using their social media platforms to speak on social justice initiatives.
The importance of equal rights was first and foremost in the minds of teams partaking in the NBA restart in Orlando. Playoff teams organized a wildcat strike after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. That nearly led to a walk-off, but the NBPA and league sat down to discuss measures to promote social justice.
There is plenty of strife and division in modern America. But Monday presents an opportunity for the Spurs coach and other Americans to reflect on Dr. King's message of equality.
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