>>> THIS AFTERNOON, GEORGE FLOYD
WILL BE LAID TO REST IN A
PRIVATE FUNERAL IN HOUSTON,
AMONG CLOSE FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
GEORGE FLOYD -- HIS DEATH
SPARKED PROTESTS AROUND THE
WORLD.
ONE OF HIS LOVES WAS BASKETBALL.
WE HEARD FROM NBA, NFL, AND
NASCAR DRIVERS TALKING ABOUT
GEORGE FLOYD’S LIFE, HIS DEATH,
WHAT IT MEANT, AND INJUSTICE.
JOINING ME NOW IS FORMER NBA
PLAYER AND UNIVERSITY OF
KENTUCKY BASKETBALL STAR REX
CHAPMAN.
AFTER YEARS IN THE SPOTLIGHT,
WITNESSING THESE INJUSTICES,
FIRSTHAND, REX IS NOW SPEAKING
OUT ABOUT RACISM IN AMERICA.
REX, I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE WITH ME.
I’M ONE OF AT LEAST YOUR TWITTER
BIGGEST FANS.
YOU WROTE A PIECE IN A LEXINGTON
HERALD LEADER ENTITLED
INJUSTICE, DOUBLE STANDARDS AND
HEART BREAKING BIGOTRY.
WHY YOU SPEAKING OUT NOW?
>> WELL, STEPHANIE, THANKS FOR
HAVING ME.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS ABOUT 15
YEARS OLD, I FINISHED A
BASKETBALL GAME AND AN OLDER
GENTLEMAN, LOOKED LIKE A GUY
FROM ZZ TOP, CAME UP TO ME,
GRABBED ME BY THE ARM, BUNCH OF
PEOPLE STANDING AROUND, AND HE
SAID THESE EXACT WORDS TO ME.
HE SAID, MAN, I LOVE WATCHING
YOU PLAY BALL.
YOU PLAY JUST LIKE A BLACK GUY.
HE DIDN’T SAY BLACK GUY.
HE PLAY JUST LIKE A BLACK GUY
BUT YOU STILL GET TO BE WHITE
LUCKY.
IT STAYED WITH ME MY WHOLE LIFE,
NOT ONLY DID THAT HAPPEN, BUT,
YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A LOT OF
PEOPLE AROUND AND NOBODY BATTED
AN EYE.
I REMEMBER THINKING, THAT’S THE
WORST THING I’VE EVER HEARD
ANYBODY SAY.
YOU KNOW, FROM BEGINNING TO END.
AND IN ONE RESPECT YOU’RE SAYING
I REALLY ENVY THESE BLACK
ATHLETES, BUT AT THE END OF THE
DAY, YOU GET ITTO PLAY BALL BUT
YOU GET TO BE WHITE.
AND I’M TIRED OF HOLDING THIS
STUFF BACK, YOU KNOW.
I SPENT YEARS IN ADDICTION.
I WAS A LOTTERY PICK IN THE NBA.
SINCE THEN I LIVED IN MY CAR.
AND I DIDN’T SAY A LOT OF THIS
STUFF WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I
THINK, BECAUSE I WAS A LITTLE
CONCERNED ABOUT HOW IT MIGHT
AFFECT MY POCKETBOOK.
I’M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT
ANYMORE.
I CAN GO BACK AND LIVE IN MY CAR
AGAIN, I’LL BE HONEST ABOUT THIS
STUFF.
AND IF FEWER OPPORTUNITIES COME
MY WAY BECAUSE OF SPEAKING OUT
FOR THINGS THAT I KNOW ARE JUST,
THEN SO BE IT.
>> YOU SAID THAT IN YOUR OWN
LIFE, WHEN YOU ARE ARRESTED,
WHEN YOU WERE BEHAVING BADLY,
YOU WERE TREATED MUCH
DIFFERENTLY AS A WHITE GUY THAN
YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN IF YOU WERE
BLACK.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN
A TOWN OF 50,000 AND LITTLE
RURAL CITY CALLED OWENSBORO AND
I GREW UP IN THE SUBURBS OR IN
THE COUNTRY.
I ALSO GREW UP WITH MY FRIENDS
DOWN IN THE PROJECTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, POLICE INTERACT
DIFFERENTLY WITH WHITE PEOPLE
THAN THEY DO BLACK PEOPLE.
THAT’S BASIC.
THAT’S NOT EVEN UP FOR DEBATE.
THE STATISTICS BEAR IT OUT.
BUT I’VE BEEN IN CARS WITH BLACK
FRIENDS, ON MY WAY TO NBA GAMES
BEFORE.
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES.
BEEN PULLED OVER.
GUNS ARE DRAWN.
IT IS A WAY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE
THAN BEING PULLED OVER IN A CAR
FULL OF WHITE PEOPLE.
IT JUST IS.
AND I THINK WHAT A LOT OF US
HAVE BEEN DOING FOR SO LONG, WE
HAVE BEEN PROTECTING THE BRAND.
THE WHITE BRAND.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF UGLINESS
THAT GOES WITH THAT.
I’M -- WHEN I SAW LAST WEEK THAT
THE PROTESTS WERE GOING ON AND
ONE OF OUR SENATORS HERE IN
KENTUCKY, BLACK LIVES MATTERS
PROTESTS WERE GOING ON.
ONE OF OUR SENATORS IN KENTUCKY
WAS IN WASHINGTON VOTING DOWN AN
ANTI-LYNCHING LEGISLATION.
AND IT JUST MAKES ME WANT TO
CRY.
I’M EMBARRASSED.
I THINK A COUPLE OF OUR SENATORS
HERE ARE OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE
PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY.
AND MORE IN LINE WITH THEIR BIG
MONEY DONORS.
SO I’M JUST -- I’M JUST SORT OF
FED UP AND I WANT TO BE HERE AS
AN ALLY TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND
FAMILY OVER THE YEARS THAT I’VE
BEEN SPEAKING UP, PRIVATELY, BUT
THAT TIME IS OVER.
>> REX, YOU DO MORE THAN THAT.
YOU MIGHT BE SPEAKING OUT
AGAINST RACISM NOW.
EVERY DAY YOU SHARE HUNDREDS AT
THIS POINT THOUSANDS OF
BEAUTIFUL VIDEOS AND MESSAGES
AND STORIES OF HUMANITY IN
SOCIETY.
SO AS DIVIDED AND ANGRY AS WE
ARE, TALK ABOUT THE CELEBRATION
THAT YOU SEE EVERY DAY IN
SPREADING THIS KIND OF LOVE.
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF WHAT
WE’RE SEEING IS JUST
DIVISIVENESS.
A LOT OF IT IS TWITTER DRIVEN,
WHICH CRACKS ME UP.
THE PRESIDENT WAS SAYING HE
WANTED TO GET OFF OF HADTWITTER
THAT’S HIS ONLY JAM, THOUGH.
A LOT OF US ARE BEING DIVIDED BY
SOCIAL MEDIA AND WHAT WE SEE AND
HEAR.
I THINK PEOPLE IF THEY READ
MORE, FOUND REPUTABLE SOURCES TO
READ, WE PROBABLY WOULD BE IN A
LITTLE BIT BETTER SPACE.
OUR LEADERSHIP IS REALLY LACKING
AND I WANT TO SAY ONE THING
HERE, REAL QUICK, STEPH, IF YOU
DON’T MIND, I DID -- I SPENT
ABOUT 15 YEARS IN DRUG ADDICTION
FROM PAINKILLERS.
WE HAD A SENATOR HERE IN MY HOME
STATE, HE WAS ELECTED MY JUNIOR
YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL, 35 YEARS
AGO, I WAS 16.
AND WE DIDN’T HAVE AN OPIOID
EPIDEMIC THEN AND NOR WAS THIS
MAN A RICH MAN AT THE TIME.
FAST-FORWARD ABOUT 15 YEARS, AND
IT IS 2000, I BECAME ADDICTED TO
OXYCONTIN
OXYCONTIN.
THIS SNRENATOR EXPECTED MORE MON
FROM BIG PHARMA THAN ANY
POLITICIAN IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
HE’S FAILED TO HOLD BIG PHARMA
ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANYTHING IN
CONGRESS.
AND I JUST GOT TO SAY, NOT ONLY
THAT, THIS EPIDEMIC HAS COME
INTO THIS STATE AND IT IS
WRECKING THE STATE.
I’M -- I’VE MET -- MANAGED TO
MAKE IT THROUGH.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T.
AND WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THIS
SENATOR’S BEEN HERE WHEN
EPIDEMIC CAME IN AND HE’S DONE
NOTHING FOR KENTUCKIANS.
I KNOW MEDICAL MARIJUANA WORKS.
AND THAT HE’S DEPRIVED THIS
STATE OF HAVING ANY, ANY CHANCE
OF COMING BACK AND GETTING OUT
OF REHAB AND FINDING SOMETHING
THAT MIGHT HELP IS JUST SORT OF
CRIMINAL TO ME.
OKAY, IF WE DON’T WANT TO ALLOW
MEDICAL MARIJUANA HERE, FINE.
LET’S TAKE CARE OF OUR FARMERS,
GROW THE MARIJUANA, SELL IT TO