>> MIGUEL ALMAGUER, LIVE FOR US
IN LOS ANGELES.
GOOD TO SEE YOU ON THE SHOW.
THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORTING.
>>> I WANT TO BRING IN RETIRED
NBA PLAYER ETON THOMAS, THE
AUTHOR OF "WE MATTER:AGE ATHLETE
AND ACTIVISM."
PUT IN WORDS HOW BIG OF A MOMENT
THIS IS FOR YOU AS A FORMER NBA
PLAYER, FOR YOUR FRIENDS STILL
PLAYING?
>> IT IS A HUGE MOMENT.
PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED THE GAMES
ARE GOING TO START OR NOT, BUT
THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE REAL
REASON WHY THEY HAD THE BOYCOTT
IN THE FIRST PLACE.
FIRST OF ALL, THAT A BLACK MAN
SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT IN
ORDER TO BE VIEWED AS HUMAN.
THAT’S NUMBER ONE.
I MEAN, AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU
CAN JUSTIFY JACOB BLAKE BEING
SHOT IN THE BACK, AFTER TRYING
TO BREAK UP A FIGHT AFTER TWO
WOMEN, BECAUSE THE FACT HE HAD A
KNIFE IN HIS CAR, A KNIFE, THEY
DIDN’T EVEN KNOW ABOUT, AND, YOU
KNOW, AT THE SAME TIME, OUT OF
THE SAME MOUTH, YOU CHAMPION AND
SUPPORT A WHITE KYLE RITTENHOUSE
MURDERING TWO PEOPLE AND WALKING
AROUND WITH AN AR-15 ON HIS
SHOULDER, RIGHT PAST POLICE AND
YOU’RE OKAY WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ME OR
LeBRON JAMES OR KAWHI LEONARD OR
WESTBROOK IF WE WALKED ANYWHERE
IN AMERICA WITH AN AR-15 ON OUR
SHOULDERS, OPEN CARRY STATE OR NOT, IT WON’T ENDULDN’T END WELL
NOT, IT WON’T ENDULDN’T END WELL
ANY OF US.
>> YOU HEARD THE PRESIDENT THERE
IN MIGUEL’S PIECE, IN HIS
BRIEFING YESTERDAY TALK ABOUT
HOW HE THINKS IT IS NOT
BENEFICIAL FOR PRO SPORTS
LEAGUES TO BECOME AS HE PUT IT
POLITICAL ACTIVISM CENTERS.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?
>> IT IS INTERESTING TO, YOU
KNOW, THE SAME PEOPLE WHO HAVE
THE AUDACITY TO TAKE THE MORAL
HIGH GROUND TO CLAIM TO BE
CHRISTIANS, YOU ANY WHO ATTACK
JOE BIDEN NOT BEING -- ENOUGH,
WHATEVER THAT MEANS, THE SAME
PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP.
WHO, YOU KNOW, IF WE GO INTO HIS
PRIORS, PRETTY LONG LIST.
HE’S BEEN ACCUSED OF SOME KIND
OF SEXUAL CRIME AGAINST WOMEN
MORE THAN 20 TIMES?
INCLUDING A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
HE’S PAYING OFF MISTRESSES,
DEALING WITH PROSTITUTES,
LITERALLY REPRESENTS EVERY
SINGLE ONE OF THE SEVEN DEADLY
SINS, ALL OF THEM.
SO, YOU’RE NOT IN A MORAL
POSITION TO TAKE ANY KIND OF
MORAL HIGH GROUND ON ANYTHING.
BUT, STILL, YOU DO, AND IT IS
THAT -- THAT’S THE DEFINITION OF
A HYPOCRITE.
AND IT IS NOT JUST JERRY FALWELL
JR., THE ENTIRE REPUBLICAN
CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICAL PARTY.
>> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR NEW
PIECE IN THE GUARDIAN, WE SHOULD
NOTE PRESIDENT TRUMP DENIED SOME
OF THE ALLEGATIONS YOU
MENTIONED.
YOU WRITE ABOUT HOW ELGIN
BAYLOR, THIS GETS TO THE REASON
FOR THE BOYCOTT, AS YOU SEE IT,
WRITES HOW ELGIN BAYLOR PROVIDES
A BLUEPRINT FOR HOW CURRENT NBA
PLAYERS CAN EMPLOY BOYCOTTS AS A
METHOD TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE, BY
PRESSURING NBA CEOs TO USE THEIR
POWER.
EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT.
HOW YOU SEE THAT AS -- DO YOU
SEE THAT AS WHAT PLAYERS ARE
DOING NOW?
>> DEFINITELY.
AGAINST YOUR COMMENT BEFORE, 20
TIMES HE DIDN’T NECESSARILY DENY
ALL 20 OF THEM.
HE DENIED SOME OF THEM.
I THINK THE PLAYERS NOW WHO ARE
USING THEIR VOICE AND USING
THEIR POWER ARE DOING IT
COLLECTIVELY, THEY HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING
REALLY SPECIAL NOW.
NOW YOU HAVE TO PUSH FOR MORE.
YOU HAVE TO PUSH FOR -- I KNOW
EVERYBODY WANTS TO SAY WHEN ARE
THEY GOING TO PLAY AGAIN?
WHAT IS PLAYING GOING TO RESUME?
I WROTE ANOTHER PIECE IN "THE
GUARDIAN," WAS URGING FOR NBA
PLAYERS TO PUSH CEOs, I DON’T
CALL THEM OWNERS FOR OBVIOUS
REASONS, CEOs, THE MARK CUBANS
AND ALL OF THEM TO BE ABLE TO
PUT PRESSURE ON THE CITIES WHERE
THEY PLAY.
SO FOR INSTANCE, HERE IN D.C.,
HE HAS POWER IN D.C.
IN FLORIDA, WE KNOW THE
SITUATION IN FLORIDA, LIKE
EVERYTHING THAT BAD HAPPENS
USUALLY HAPPENS IN FLORIDA.
BUT MICKEY ERICKSON HAS POWER TO
BE ABLE TO PUSH THE CITY TO PUSH
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SAY
THAT, OKAY IF YOU DO NOT ADOPT
THESE SENSIBLE POLICE REFORMS,
POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY, THAT WE
WILL WITHHOLD FUNDS FROM YOU.
AND EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WHAT
MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND?
THEY WOULD REACT IMMEDIATELY AND
YOU COULD SEE IMPACT
IMMEDIATELY.
THAT’S WHAT I’M PUSHING FOR
PLAYERS TO DO, PUSH FOR MORE.
>> WE’RE ALMOST OUT OF TIME.
HAVE YOU -- CAN YOU TELL US
ANYTHING ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS
YOU HAD WITH YOUR FRIENDS, OTHER
PLAYERS, BEYOND THAT, WHAT ARE
THEY SAYING, WHAT IS THE
THINKING NOW, THIS MORNING?
>> THE THINKING NOW IT IS
INTERESTING, A LOT OF THINKING.
I HAVE TO GIVE A LOT OF PROPS TO
PEOPLE LIKE KYRIE IRVING, AND
AVERY BRADLEY AND DWIGHT HOWARD
WHO MENTIONED THIS EARLIER.
I WROTE AN ARTICLE THAT CAME UP
THIS MORNING ON A NEWS CYCLE,
BASKETBALL NEWS.COM, I CALLED
FOR STEPHEN A. SMITH AND CHARLES
BARKLEY, SPECIFICALLY, TO OFFER
PUBLIC APOLOGIES TO KYRIE
IRVING.
THEY LAMBASTED THEM WHEN THEY
FIRST CAME OUT WITH A NOTION OF
BOYCOTTING OR WORK STOPPAGE OR
NOT GOING INTO THE BUBBLE.
THEY CALLED IT NAMES LIKE
FOOLISH AND MADE IT SEEM
COMPLETELY ABSURD FOR THEM TO DO
WHAT THEY’RE DOING BUT THEY
OFFER THEIR PRAISES.
THE WORLD IS SEEING THEY HAVE
EVERYONE’S ATTENTION NOW.
YOU JUST SHOWED BEFORE, THE MLB,
AND MLB IS NOT KNOWN FOR ITS
ACTIVISM.
THE FACT FOR THEM ALL TO BE ABLE
TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT,