Hey Pop with the women's tournament
in San Antonio this month,
one of your Team USA colleagues
Dawn Staley is here and I'm just
wondering what you think about a
successful coach like her using her
voice to speak up about things not
necessarily sticking to basketball.
Well, it's you know, vitally important,
especially in the environment
we live in today, and you know,
she's a wonderful woman.
She's committed on and off the court.
And to continue.
To speak about. Oh injustice.
Is very very important.
Because we have a large group of political.
Politically elected people who
basically want some things to go away.
You know, yeah,
the most recent example obviously is.
The fact that they how many
Republicans you know voted against.
Having a Commission to investigate
the riot on January 6 and wanted
to go away like it didn't happen.
And we have to talk about things
we have to talk about. No.
You know the the way police unions.
Make it very difficult for justice
to be found, especially by you
know black and Brown victims.
You can go on and on,
but they don't want to talk
about these things and the fact
that Coach Staley keeps it.
In the broader conversation.
Is very important so that people
can never forget about this and
hopefully changes are made.
But if we don't say anything.
It's just business as usual. She
she mentioned to me today and I
know you don't consider yourself
any kind of huge leader on this,
but just the idea that you Steve
Doc Rivers you know I'm down the
line that she's to mention just the
fact that other coaches are on the
right side means something to her.
Do you see that as a as kind of part
of your responsibility to to kind
of be on the right side of things?
I, I think all of us feel that I think
you know, every citizen who either
experiences or witnesses the injustice
has a responsibility to speak up.
Obviously we have a little bit of a platform
and maybe a few more people will hear us.
But we need to use that because we're in
dire straits right now in a lot of ways.
You know, even in our own state
we have a governor.
We have a Lieutenant governor.
We have attorney general.
Who helped perpetrate the lie
about the election? SMS.
People that tell us you
don't need to wear a mask.
Just illogical.
Transparent. Ignorance
and purposeful deception.
Is just mind boggling.
And we have to call it out.
Thank you Sir. You're
welcome, thanks Mike. Let's
go to Angel Gray from cabs TV.
Thank you so much and coach
thank you for your time and
your statements earlier as well.
Sorry for the basketball question,
but with this substantial amount of
time that you're able to get it right,
I know, I know.
I apologize. It's OK.
But with the amount of time
that you spend in this League,
you've been able to see how
this game has evolved and even
positions as far as players.
How would you say the role of the
big has evolved to this point?
Well. The big on the block is pretty rare.
You know, we don't see that very often.
You know the rules have
something to do with that.
Skill changes have something
today we see big guys.
Now they're they're shooting threes.
They're spreading the floor.
So you know that wasn't
exactly Kareem or Wilt's game,
so it's been a huge
difference for the big guys.
Thank you Angel. Let's go to Tom Orsborn.
Papa, I know Demars available
but just want to make sure he
is he active tonight. Yeah,
he's active. You'll start.
OK and JB
was talking about Demars example
for the African American community.
As far as mental health goes.
Does part of it does part of that
involve what he just did you know
there was a time when players
and people in general would rush
back to get to their jobs and try
to tough things out like this?
But what does it say about them?
Or that he took the time out
and and was with his family and
did the right thing in that
area? Well, you know.
I don't know if you're.
Prefacing comments or true or not about
what people did in certain situations,
some took time, some didn't.
Circumstances are always different,
so notwithstanding those comments he
did what was necessary for his family.
And I applaud him for that.
It's what everybody should do.
Your family loves you,
basketball doesn't.
Thank you you're welcome.
Thank you coach OK.