Saturday Slam: NBA players react to riots at the United States Capitol

 

                                             (Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters) 

The big news from this week is the horrifying riots that took place at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, January 6. On the day that the U.S. congress was set to ratify the 2020 presidential election results, a clan of wild-eyed Trump worshiping ruffians stormed the U.S. Capitol building in a mad panic, calling for the head of Mike Pence and desecrating everything in sight. As this barbaric scene was unfolding, Donald Trump was rooting it all on from the comforts of the White House, perplexed that more people around him weren't having fun watching the terror. 

What happened has elicited some strong reactions from members of congress, the media, everyday Americans, and people around the world. NBA players have also weighed in on what happened. Below are some of their reactions. 

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW???!! I know the answer to that. You still don't cause no matter what happens you still won't be judge, looked at crazy, chained, beaten, hung, shot to death cause of the color of your skin!!!! 2 AMERIKKKAS we live in and it was at FULL CAPACITY LIVE IN DIRECT yesterday in our Nations CAPITAL AT THE CAPITOL!! #IPrayForBetterDaysForMyPeople"-LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)

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"An absolute disgrace what's happening at the U.S. Capitol right now. And a blatant example of inequity in how law enforcement chooses to deal with those involved." -Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers)

 

An absolute disgrace what’s happening at the US Capitol right now. And a blatant example of inequity in how law enforcement chooses to deal with those involved. 🗑🗑🗑

— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) January 6, 2021

 

 "Smh....."-Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)

Smh.....

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) January 6, 2021

"I scan my timeline and keep seeing the word "embarrassing." I'm not embarrassed, I'm not surprised, or shocked even. Embarrassed would mean that I feel a sense of shame by what is going on. I have no such feeling. These people do not come close to being a representation of me. This is the epitome of white privilege and Trump's ideal ending to his presidency!!"-Garrett Temple (Chicago Bulls)

I scan my timeline and keep seeing the word “embarrassing.” I’m not embarrassed, I’m not surprised, or shocked even. Embarrassed would mean that I feel a sense of shame by what is going on. I have no such feeling. These people do not come close to being a representation of me 🤷🏾‍♂️

— Garrett Temple (@GTemp17) January 6, 2021

This is the epitome of white privilege and Trumps ideal ending to his presidency!!

— Garrett Temple (@GTemp17) January 6, 2021

 

"There is literally a tweet for everything. Cat got your tongue today huh?" -Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

 

There is literally a tweet for everything. Cat got your tongue today huh? https://t.co/yKd8dgm2wn

— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) January 6, 2021

 

"Taking a knee is disrespectful to America but storming the capital is not. What defines an act of terrorism? What's more un-American than storming the capital"-Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics) 

 Taking a knee is disrespectful to America but storming the capital is not

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) January 7, 2021

What defines an act of terrorism ? What’s more un-American than storming the capital

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) January 7, 2021 

 

There were more Twitter and social media reactions than the just the ones I shared. Many other players as well as coaches expressed frustration, but I feel like the above quotes should give you a pretty good snapshot of what was said. The NBA is a league that is really trying to make a difference in terms of social justice, so it comes as no surprise that players would react as strongly as they did. 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Golden State Warriors put Donald Trump in his place

For reasons that I will never understand, President Donald Trump decided to take on the Golden State Warriors, saying that Stephen Curry's invitation to the White House was being withdrawn due to his hesitancy to visit.

Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017

In response to our Mickey Mouse of a president, the Warriors released the following statement.

Statement from the Golden State Warriors: pic.twitter.com/6kk6ofdu9X

— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) September 23, 2017

 "While we intended to meet as a team at the first opportunity we had this morning to collaboratively discuss a potential visit to the White House, we accept that President Trump has made it clear that we are not invited. We believe there is nothing more American than our citizens having the right to express themselves freely on matters important to them. We're disappointed that we did not have an opportunity during this process to share our views or have open dialogue on issues impacting our communities that we felt would be important to raise. 

"In lieu of a visit to the White House, we have decided that we'll constructively use our trip to the nation's capital in February to celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion; the values that we embrace as an organization." 

I have not been shy about my dislike for Donald Trump. I think he's an absolute buffoon and a total embarrassment to what our country is supposed to stand for. He has zero regard for free speech, defends all forms of hatred, and only cares to be president to his base, tuning out the 65% of the country that disapproves of his job.

What's even worse is that President Trump delights in fomenting hatred and making our country even more divided. The fact that we have the President of the United States picking fights with a professional basketball team is just mind boggling to me. I don't know if words can convey just how unprecedented and embarrassing this is. If there was something I could do to give Donald Trump a new brain and a new heart, I would. Unfortunately, he'd have to visit the Wizard of Oz to make that happen.

In contrast, the Warriors stand for freedom of speech, equality, diversity, and inclusion. On a national stage, they showed President Trump how he should be doing his job, which is to care about all Americans regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. I just wanted to take the time to applaud the Golden State Warriors for taking a stand against Donald Trump and reminding him that he doesn't represent those of us who did not vote for him.

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NBALord.com Podcast: Carmelo gets traded; LeBron slams Trump

                                          (Doug Pensinger. Getty Images) 

On this week's episode of the NBALord.com Podcast, I address Carmelo Anthony getting traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron James' comments about Donald Trump, and more. Click here to listen to the podcast.





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Tomahawk Tuesday: J.J. Redick is rightfully horrified about Donald Trump's presidency

                                          (Credit: YouTube. Click here for source) 

Last week, Los Angeles Clippers sharpshooter J.J. Redick expressed his "horror" about the Donald Trump administration. Below is an excerpt from The Los Angeles Times: 

“I wasn’t kidding,” Redick said in a later interview. “I’m a voracious reader … and I’ve become sort of obsessed with Trump in the last six months. I don’t really speak about it, not because it’s not my place or I don’t have a voice — I do. But I would say this: There’s been a lot of jokes and side comments from people in the league about [White House Press Secretary] Sean Spicer and alternative facts and all that stuff, but I don’t think any of it is funny.
“I’m actually horrified right now. People who are losing their healthcare, women who are losing their right to decide what to do with their body, that’s not funny to me. So, you can joke about crowd size [at Trump’s inauguration] and all of that B.S., but it’s not funny.”

What J.J. Redick is expressing are the same concerns and fears that millions of Americans have. Those concerns and fears are not unfounded or stemming from "fake news" like Donald Trump wants us to all believe. Those concerns and fears instead stem from the words and actions of a man who appears to be racist, mentally unstable, and arrogant.

I've not hid my views on Donald Trump on here, though I do keep in mind that this site is dedicated to informing NBA fans with quality news and insight. The way in which I try to approach the subject of Donald Trump is from an NBA angle and J.J. Redick expressing his views gives me the perfect vehicle to express my own views on here by responding to his views.

The most significant word that J.J. Redick uses in his comments is "horrified". He's not just in disagreement with Donald Trump's views, he's horrified by them. He sees Trump's positions as morally objectionable on many levels and I too have these same sentiments.

To me, Donald Trump is the most dangerous person to ever take office because of his personality, views, and the era in which he is president. His personality can best be described as "unstable", "erratic", and "illogical". He doesn't use logic and reasoning to back up his claims. Instead, he fabricates stories to paint a picture of a reality that he wants others to believe in. He's the ultimate bullshit artist and what's perhaps even scarier is that he seems to believe his own bullshit.

As for his views, they are simply horrifying. He wants to ban an entire religion from entering the country, he wants to take healthcare away from millions of Americans for no good reason, and he's quicker to defend Vladimir Putin than he is to defend the Constitution of the United States. The era in which he is president is problematic because now more than ever is a time in which we need someone with sound judgment to help us deal with a world that is increasingly becoming more dangerous and complex.

Donald Trump is a dangerous president and J.J. Redick is right to express his views of sheer horror and fear for what Donald Trump may do now that he's in office. The good news is that we live in a country with checks and balances and Donald Trump is only in charge of one of the three branches of government, namely the executive branch. The judiciary and legislative branches are separate from him and have the ability to prevent him from doing a lot of the damage that he wants to do. Let's just hope they do their job and stand up against any crazy or illogical policy that he plans to implement.

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Saturday Slam: Should NBA championship teams boycott trips to the White House during the Trump administration?

Credit: Gage Skidmore. Click here for source. 

     Earlier this week, the Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, and Memphis Grizzlies all made the decision to not stay in Trump Hotels when their teams play against the Knicks and the Nets in New York.  This is a great way for these teams to protest against the Trump Administration since it is peaceful and powerful at the same time. With the NBA being such a progressive league that stands up for the rights of the LGBTQ community and stands up against any form of discrimination, one has to wonder whether or not NBA championship teams will visit the White House during a Trump administration. 

     The NBA has done a great job at using its global platform to raise awareness about environmental issues, health issues, and also issues surrounding equality and discrimination. With that in mind, the NBA would really send a message if their championship teams elected to not visit the White House during their visit(s) to DC to take on the Washington Wizards. 

     For those of you who may not understand the gravity of an NBA boycott of the White House, what needs to be understood is that as far back as I can remember, NBA championship teams have made it a tradition to visit the White House the following season. They've always made it a priority to visit the White House and give the president a jersey with his name on it. The president makes a few jokes, the players make a few jokes, they embrace, they have a good time, etc. But with the NBA being such a diverse league with players from all racial makeups, nationalities, and backgrounds, I'm not sure it's possible for NBA championship teams to have a "good time" when visiting Trump in the White House. 

     Going a step further, what message could it send to the fan base of a respective team to see Trump's name on the back of their team's jersey? Might it offend them? Might it not make them want to come to the games? Might it hurt the fan base? 

     The answer to these difficult questions is that it could and perhaps therein lies the answer. The NBA is about making all of its fans feel safe and comfortable coming to the games. If seeing their favorite players shake hands with Donald Trump makes fans feel uncomfortable or angry, maybe it is just best for NBA championship teams to skip visits to the White House during Donald Trump's administration. 

     By not visiting the White House during a Trump administration, NBA players would be sending a strong message of solidarity to their fans that are African-American, Latino, Muslim, LGBTQ, etc. I think it would let them know that they don't stand for what this administration stands for and that they themselves are not going to be idle in letting the administration set forth racist, xenophobic, islamophobic, homophobic, and anti-environment policies. NBA fans really look up to their favorite players and by boycotting trips to the White House during a Trump administration, NBA fans would see their favorite players as guys who have their back and care about making sure they don't get left behind. 

Saturday Slam: Is a Donald Trump presidency good for the Toronto Raptors?

On Tuesday, Donald Trump shocked the world by winning the electoral vote for president of the United States. Unless the electoral college goes rogue and votes for Hillary Clinton (which they should), Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States come January 20, 2017. First of all, let me say that you can count me in among the millions of Americans that are utterly horrified at the idea of Trump presidency. In case you missed it, I compared  Donald Trump to Donald Sterling, the former Los Angeles Clippers owner a few months ago. I said that if Donald Trump's racism disqualifies him from owning an NBA team, it should disqualify him from being President of the United States. I stand by those remarks and I always will.

As for what a Donald Trump presidency means for the NBA, I think it is entirely possible that having Trump in the White House will create a sudden interest in NBA free agents wanting to play for the Toronto Raptors, the lone NBA team that will be able to escape the wrath of a Trump administration. With all this talk of people wanting to move to Canada, why is it crazy to think that there will be some NBA players who want to get out of the United States until a new president takes over? The Toronto Raptors could be on the verge of a major free agency coup all courtesy of Donald Trump taking over as President of the United States.

While Toronto is a beautiful city in a beautiful country, their status as Canada's lone NBA team hasn't exactly been a plus when it comes to recruiting free agents. But, with Donald Trump taking over the helm, suddenly, their lone Canadian NBA status makes them a team that can provide NBA players with a path to join the mass American exodus into Canada that is sure to happen.

The only question is whether or not the very best players in the NBA will want to escape to Canada. If not, the Toronto Raptors may only see a slight improvement in the quality of free agents that they make, but should some really high profile players like Blake Griffin decide they want out of the United States and see Toronto as their only option, the Raptors could quickly build a championship contending team for seasons to come.

While the concept of a Trump presidency leading to a Toronto Raptors NBA championship sounds absurd, let me ask you this: If you are an NBA player who dislikes Donald Trump, wouldn't you give the Toronto Raptors a more serious look? Wouldn't that team look a lot more appealing to you than they did before? I think upon serious reflection, the answer is absolutely you would.

So, with that being the case, I think it's totally reasonable to expect big things from the Toronto Raptors during the Donald Trump administration. The very best players in the NBA are likely to seriously consider Toronto as a possible destination for them in free agency as a means of escaping Donald Trump. It's really not as crazy of a notion as you would think.

So, with this all being true, I really think a Donald Trump presidency is wonderful for the Toronto Raptors. They've been looking for a free agency recruiting advantage for quite some time and now they finally have it: They don't play in a country that is ran by Donald Trump. It's a simple advantage, but one that could pay major dividends for them in the coming seasons.

Saturday Slam: Donald Trump would not be allowed to own an NBA franchise, yet he can still run for president

                                          (Credit: Gage Skidmore. Click here for source) 

           Earlier this month, we saw the Republican Party nominate Donald Trump as their candidate for president of the Untied States.  For some Americans, watching Donald Trump accept the nomination was a great moment and one that they hope will lead to a brighter tomorrow. For other Americans, including myself, it was a moment of sheer horror and one that they hope is just a bad dream.

The reason Donald Trump supporters support him is because they feel he is speaking the truth on issues that many politicians are too afraid to address. He is taking on mainstream politicians and standing up against their lack of ability to get things done in Washington.

 As an extension of this, Donald Trump refuses to be politically correct. He isn’t afraid to make hateful remarks about women, muslims, hispanics, or illegal immigrants. He also isn’t afraid to make outlandish accusations that don’t fit within the construct of reality itself. If you tell Donald Trump you are offended by his remarks, he doesn’t care and neither do his followers.

Saying you are for equitable treatment for all people regardless of their race, gender, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation, is viewed by Donald Trump and his supporters as being “politically correct” and weak. Donald Trump and his supporters pride themselves on being tough and strong, even if it means putting other people down and discriminating against them.

Donald Trump’s arrogant and mean-spirited comments offend many Americans because they go against what being an American is all about. Being an American is about getting along with people regardless of their differences. New York City, a city that Donald Trump is proud to represent, is filled with people of all walks of life and various backgrounds. Amazingly, Donald Trump only cares for the citizens of New York City that are white, affluent, heterosexual, and attractive looking (to him). That’s a very small percentage of the city’s population. By extension, Donald Trump only cares for Americans that fit this same tiny demographic.

Now, what you are probably wondering about now is “Why am I reading about Donald Trump on an NBA blog?” That’s an excellent question. The connection between Donald Trump and the NBA lies in his connection to a man who was banned from the NBA for making racist remarks that quite honestly were much more mild than what he has said. The man I am talking about is Donald Sterling, the former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.

                             (Credit: Danny Moloshok AP) 

When Donald Sterling was caught on tape saying racist remarks about African-Americans, NBA commissioner Adam Silver saw to it that Sterling be stripped of his ownership of the Clippers and be forced to sell the team. Why? Because Adam Silver understands that an NBA owner is the main representative of an NBA franchise and by extension a main representative of the NBA at large. He understands that NBA fans come from all walks of life and have very diverse backgrounds. The NBA wants to be a league that values the diversity of its fans and makes sure every fan feels welcome in an NBA arena regardless of who they are.

In order to own an NBA franchise, Adam Silver has made it a requirement to have an open mind and an accepting attitude towards all of your fans since they are the ones who at the end of the day keep the league afloat. It is the fans that buy the jerseys, the tickets, and tune in to watch on television. It is the fans whose love and enthusiasm for the NBA have resulted in a huge bump in the NBA salary cap and revenue. They have made this happen and thus deserve to be valued and respected, regardless of who they are.

The hateful and divisive remarks that Donald Trump has made over this past year would make him ineligible to own an NBA team. Donald Trump has even gone so far as to mock a disabled reporter, an offense which in and of itself would put an NBA owner in jeopardy of losing the ownership of his team. Imagine if an NBA owner mocked a disabled reporter after a game. Do you think the NBA would just turn the other way on that? No chance in hell. They would make him or her pay a heavy fine and they themselves would issue a statement apologizing to the reporter on behalf of the owner’s remarks.

Contrast the NBA’s attitude towards such remarks with that of the Republican Party. The Republican Party, an organization that Donald Trump is now the face of, has not issued one statement apologizing for the way that their candidate has behaved. Donald Trump has said we should build a wall to keep illegal immigrants out, called those immigrants rapists, flirted with white supremacists, and made several disrespectful remarks about women all while getting the approval of their speaker of the house Paul Ryan, a cowardly man who is afraid of his own shadow. 

It’s truly mind-boggling and crazy that Donald Trump is one election day away from entering the White House while also not meeting the qualifications to own a professional basketball team in the United States. If he owned an NBA franchise, very few African-Americans would want to play for his team, coach his team, or have anything else to do with his team. The same would go for the vast majority of remaining NBA players, many of which come from countries outside of the United States.

            As a matter of fact, if elected president, I’m not sure Donald Trump would even be welcomed in an NBA arena. After all, the NBA did relocate the 2017 All-Star Game due to Charlotte not budging on their discriminatory bathroom laws against transgender people and they did ban Donald Sterling from ever setting foot in an NBA arena in addition to stripping him of his ownership of the Clippers. Donald Trump, very similarly, would not be welcomed in an NBA arena due to the way he views the vast majority of the NBA’s fan base. Even if he was allowed in an NBA arena, the league would at best given him a cold and icy greeting.

So, what I want you to reflect on is what does it say about our culture that the NBA is more progressive than one of our two major political parties? What does it say that the NBA’s commissioner is more concerned about the welfare of NBA fans than the Republican Party’s nominee is about the welfare of American citizens? After all, the NBA at the end of the day is just a form of entertainment while the Republican Party makes decisions that affect the livelihood and well being of American citizens. 

Shouldn’t Donald Trump and the Republican Party be more concerned about how they treat their citizens than the NBA? One would certainly think that they should, but sadly, they are not. Instead, they are doing everything they can to promote hate, violence, and injustice. All I can say is that it’s a pretty sad world we live in where a professional sports organization is more in touch with its  fans than a major political party is with its citizens. Especially when it is happening in the United States.