Leading into Thursday’s practice at the NBA “bubble” in Florida, Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni wore yet another shirt with a clear statement of his support for voting rights.
At 69 years old, D’Antoni is one of the NBA’s most veteran and respected coaches. With dress code requirements less formal for coaches at the bubble, he’s continually used that opportunity to promote the cause.
In particular, Thursday was a day of significance on that front, since Houston’s team practice came only a few hours after the funeral for U.S. civil rights icon John Lewis. As a Congressman, one of Lewis’ signature issues was his push to protect voting rights, and D’Antoni explained Thursday that Lewis was part of his motivation to speak out.
Regarding the importance of voting, D’Antoni said:
It’s fundamental to our democracy. One thing that’s not talked about, we don’t vote en masse enough. The percentage is way too low. There are too many obstacles put in front of people to deny them their Constitutional right to vote. We have to strive to do better. His whole life was dedicated to that, and it would be a great tribute to him to pass the voter act in his name (Voting Rights Act) that’s on the Senate’s desk, and get it right.
D’Antoni offered a few suggestions to make the process of voting easier for all Americans, along with a plea for everyone to do better. He said:
Why are we even squabbling? Why are we even having this discussion in this democracy, where everybody has the right to vote? Vote freely, whatever it takes. If it’s expanded days to make it easier for people, whether it’s a national holiday. Whatever it takes to get every citizen the right to vote, shouldn’t be a discussion. It should already be done.
When somebody has to dedicate their whole life’s work to that, there’s something wrong with what’s going on. This is what we’re talking about. Hopefully we’re all striving to get a more perfect union, and you can’t do that when there is racial injustice, or against the poor.
Whatever it is, we’ve got to strive to do better. We’re not doing real well right now, with how we’re running things. Voting is the only answer. If everybody has the right to vote, I think that’s how things change, and that’s how things get better. That’s how we get to a better place.
With the 2020 U.S. elections set for Tuesday, Nov. 3, including a battle for the presidency, D’Antoni called on all Americans to take action.
“We’re in a time where you need to start doing your part,” D’Antoni said on Thursday evening. “The part that everybody can do is vote. Not everybody can do everything, either financially or whatever the problem is. But everybody can vote. So get out and register, take a friend, take a family, just do it. And let’s form a better union.”
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