BLM ALLY
Popovich rips Trump's leadership amid George Floyd protests

By Jeff McDonald , Monday, June 1, 2020


Photo: Jeff Chiu /Associated Press

Gregg Popovich is part of an NBA Coaches Association committee formed to address racial conflict in each of the league’s cities.


Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, has sounded off on what he sees as a lack of national leadership in the wake of the police murder of George Floyd.
With protests begetting violent riots throughout the country, Pop called longtime friend Dave Zirin at the The Nation to vent.

Some highlights from Popovich:

“The thing that strikes me is that we all see this police violence and racism and we’ve seen it all before but nothing changes. That’s why these protests have been so explosive. But without leadership and an understanding of what the problem is, there will never be change. And white Americans have avoided reckoning with this problem forever because it’s been our privilege to be able to avoid it. That also has to change.”

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And also:

“It’s unbelievable. If Trump had a brain, even if it was 99 percent cynical, he would come out and say something to unify people. But he doesn’t care about bringing people together. Even now. That’s how deranged he is. It’s all about him. It’s all about what benefits him personally. It’s never about the greater good. And that’s all he’s ever been.”

And again:

“It’s so clear what needs to be done. We need a president to come out and say simply that ‘Black Lives Matter.’ Just say those three words. But he won’t and he can’t. He can’t because it’s more important to him to mollify the small group of followers who validate his insanity."

He’s not just divisive. He’s a destroyer. To be in his presence makes you die. He will eat you alive for his own purposes. I’m appalled that we have a leader who can’t say ‘Black Lives Matter.’ That’s why he hides in the White House basement. He is a coward. He creates a situation and runs away like a grade-schooler. Actually, I think it’s best to ignore him. There is nothing he can do to make this better because of who he is: a deranged idiot.”

Popovich went on to call the nationwide protests "very necessary" but said "they need to be organized better."

Popovich: "When Dr. King did a protest, you knew when to show, when to come back the next day. But if you’re just organizing protests and everyone is coming and going in every direction, it doesn’t work that way. If it was nonviolent, they knew to be nonviolent, but this is muddled. More leadership would be very welcome so these incredible mass demonstrations can’t be used by people for other means."