>>> WELCOME BACK.
PROTESTS IN WISCONSIN CONTINUED
OVERNIGHT WITH THE SHOOTING OF
29-YEAR-OLD JACOB BLAKE.
YESTERDAY, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE CONFIRMING IT HAD
OPENED A CIVIL RIGHTS
INVESTIGATION INTO THE CASE.
THE FALLOUT FROM BLAKE’S
SHOOTING IS BEING FELT FAR
BEYOND WISCONSIN.
WITH THE SPORTS WORLD REACTING
IN AN UNPRECEDENTED WAY.
THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS BOYCOTTING
THEIR NBC PLAYOFF GAME
YESTERDAY, WITH OTHER TEAMS
FOLLOWING SUIT.
FOR MORE ON THAT, WE TURN TO
MIKE TIRICO FROM NBC SPORTS.
MIKE, GOOD TO SEE YOU, MY
FRIEND.
>> SAME HERE, MR. ROKER.
GOOD TO SEE YOU BACK IN STUDIO
1A, AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU.
WHY WAS THE BUCKS’ DECISION TO
BOYCOTT THE PLAYOFF GAME SUCH A
BIG DEAL YESTERDAY?
>> FIRST OFF, AL, ALL THESE
PLAYERS, THE TEAMS, THE LEAGUE
HAVE DONE A LOT JUST TO BE
TOGETHER IN ORLANDO IN A BUBBLE
TO TRY AND MAKE THIS SEASON
FINISH IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER,
WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE FINISHED IN
MAY AND JUNE.
PUSHED BACK, OF COURSE, BECAUSE
OF COVID-19.
THEN THE STATEMENT, MILWAUKEE
BUCKS MAY BE THE FAVORITE IN THE
EASTERN CONFERENCE TO GET TO THE
NBA FINALS.
MOST THOUGHT THEY’D PLAY THE
LAKERS OR THE CLIPPERS FROM LOS
ANGELES IN THE NBA FINALS.
BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED IN
KENOSHA
KENOSHA, THEIR ABILITY TO COME
TOGETHER, MAKE A STATEMENT
TOGETHER AS A GROUP, THAT THEY
WERE NOT GOING TO PLAY, I THINK,
HIGHLIGHTED THE REAL VALUE THAT
SPORTS AND ATHLETES CAN HAVE IN
A SOCIETY.
WE DON’T KNOW MANY PEOPLE FROM
MILWAUKEE, UNLESS YOU’RE FROM
WISCONSIN.
WE DON’T KNOW MANY PEOPLE FROM
THE STATE UNLESS YOU TRAVEL OR
HAVE FAMILY THERE.
YOU DO KNOW THOSE PLAYERS
REPRESENT THAT CITY AND AN
EXTENSION OF THAT STATE.
THEIR ABILITY TO DO THIS, AND
THEN HAVE THE OTHER PLAYERS
FOLLOW THEIR LEAD, THE WNBA,
THREE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
GAMES, NAOMI OSAKA, A TENNIS
PLAYER, IT SPEAKS TO THE PAIN
THE ATHLETES ARE FEELING RIGHT
NOW.
>> WE SAW SO MANY PRESS
CONFERENCES YESTERDAY THAT
PLAYERS WERE HAVING.
THE RAW EMOTION.
TALK ABOUT LeBRON JAMES, JAYLEN
BROWN, CHRIS PAUL.
DO THESE PLAYERS MAKE A
DIFFERENCE, GIVEN THAT THEY HAVE
SUCH A HUGE SOCIAL PRESENCE,
THAT GOES BEYOND JUST THE WORLD
OF SPORTS?
>> AL, I THINK THEY DO MORE THAN
EVER.
FOR WHATEVER REASON, WHEN WE
FOLLOW PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA,
YOU FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW THEM.
YOU KNOW, YOU WERE PUTTING OUT
ON INSTAGRAM VIDEOS OF BEING
BACK IN STUDIO 1A TODAY.
I FEEL LIKE I’M THERE WITH YOU.
THE SOCIAL MEDIA ABILITY FOR
ATHLETES AND MUSICIANS AND
ENTERTAINERS IS AN ABILITY TO
CONNECT WITH YOUR FANS IN A
DIFFERENT WAY.
PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY REALLY
KNOW YOU AND THEY REALLY FOLLOW
YOU.
SO NOW, ATHLETES LIKE YOU
MENTIONED HAVE.
LeBRON JAMES, 70 MILLION PLUS
FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM.
THEY CAN CONNECT WITH HIM, A
DIRECT MESSAGE BEING SENT.
WHEN THE PLAYERS SAY, "HEY,
ENOUGH OF THIS.
ENOUGH MISTREATMENT OF BLACKS
WHO ARE STOPPED OR INVOLVED IN
POLICE SITUATIONS," THEY’RE
REACHING A REAL AUDIENCE.
THAT, HOPEFULLY, CAN MATTER IN
CITIES AND TOWNS AS PEOPLE PUT
PRESSURE ON THEIR POLITICIANS,
TO TRY TO CHANGE THINGS THAT ARE
UNJUST AND NOT RIGHT AND
MISTREATMENT THAT OTHERWISE, AL,
MIGHT NOT HAVE GOTTEN THE
ATTENTION IT IS NOW GETTING.
>> FOUR YEARS AGO YESTERDAY,
COLIN KAEPERNICK TOOK HIS FIRST
KNEE.
NOW, HERE WE ARE, FOUR YEARS
LATER, AND THIS HAS NOW
SNOWBALLED.
IS IT GOING -- DO YOU THINK THAT
THIS NOW IS GOING TO HAVE AN
IMPACT, WHEN YOU HAVE THE
ENTIRE -- I MEAN, WHAT SEEMS
LIKE ALMOST THE ENTIRE WORLD OF
SPORTS SAYING "ENOUGH IS
ENOUGH"?
>> I THINK IT HAS HAD AN IMPACT
ALREADY.
NOW, DOES THAT MEAN THERE HAVE
NOT BEEN ISSUES LIKE WE SAW IN
KENOSHA?
NO, THAT’S NOT THE CASE.
BUT I DO THINK THERE IS A REAL
AWARENESS.
IF ANYTHING CAME OUT OF THE
GEORGE FLOYD SITUATION
NATIONALLY, THE CROSSOVER INTO
SOCIETY, I THINK PEOPLE ARE
LISTENING MORE OFTEN.
I THINK ATHLETES WHO HAVE NO
LONGER -- NO LONGER ARE PLAYING,
HAVE RETIRED, I THINK THEY’RE
MORE WILLING TO SPEAK UP TO THE
THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO THEM.
THEIR CONCERNS FOR THE NEXT
GENERATION THAT FOLLOWS THEM,
FOR THEIR KIDS, AS WELL.
BECAUSE THEY’RE USING THIS
PLATFORM, WE HAVE TO LISTEN.
THAT IS POWERFUL.
THAT WASN’T HAPPENING WHEN COLIN
KAEPERNICK DID THIS.
WE DIDN’T UNDER THE COLIN
KAEPERNICK NATIONAL ANTHEM
ISSUE.
WE UNDERSTAND IT MORE AS A
NATION AND AS SPORTS FANS NOW.
YES, IT’S HAD AN IMPACT.
IF THE PLAYERS CONTINUE TO USE
THEIR PLATFORM WHILE PLAYING, IT
WILL GIVE MORE PEOPLE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
THEY’RE SAYING, HOW THEY’RE
TREATED, AND WHAT CAN CHANGE.
>> MIKE TIRICO, THANKS SO MUCH
FOR LENDING YOUR THOUGHTS AND