Racism is not an abstract phenomenon for former Boston Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers; from his days as a player up to the present, it has had a palpable impact on his life, with his home even being burned down at one point over his interracial relationship.
So, when asked by the media about the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin over the weekend, a Black man who was shot seven times by police in front of his children after breaking up a fight between two women, the now- Los Angeles Clippers Head Coach’s voice cracked with emotion.
“What stands out to me is just watching the Republican convention and they are spewing this fear. All you hear is Donald Trump and all of them talking about fear,” Rivers said after the Clippers’ Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Doc Rivers with so much insight and honesty on the state of our world pic.twitter.com/Zdyla2adsh
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) August 26, 2020
“We’re the ones getting killed. We’re the ones getting shot. We’re the ones that are denied to live in certain communities. We’ve been hung. We’ve been shot. All you do is keep hearing about fear.”
“It’s amazing why we keep loving this country, and this country does not love us back,” Rivers added.
“It’s just really so sad. I should just be a coach. I’m so often reminded of my color. It’s just really sad. We’ve got to do better. We have to demand better.”
Celtics, Raptors have discussed boycott of Game 1 over Blake shooting https://t.co/bRfbmhgw55
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 26, 2020
He then highlighted some concrete ways we can prevent these kinds of incidents, beginning with holding police accountable.
“The training has to change in the police force. The unions have to be taken down in the police force,” Rivers offered. “My dad was a cop. I believe in good cops. We’re not trying to defund the police and take all of their money away. We’re trying to get them to protect us just like they protect everybody else.”
The former Celtics coach encouraged us all to watch the video of Kenosha police shooting Blake as he attempted to go to his vehicle as well.
Boston’s Jaylen Brown speaks on the shooting of Jacob Blake https://t.co/UwAJcXEQTT
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 25, 2020
“When you watch that video, it’s sickening. It’s sickening,” he exclaimed.
“You know his kids were there. How do they ever get that out of their mind? How will those kids ever be normal? If you watch that video, you don’t need to be Black to be outraged. You need to be American and outraged. How dare the Republicans talk about fear? We’re the ones that need to be scared. We’re the ones that have to talk to every Black child. What white father has to give his son a talk about being careful if you get pulled over?”
“It’s just ridiculous. It keeps going. There’s no charges. Breonna Taylor, nothing,” he added.
Celtics Jaylen Brown, Bill Russell react to shooting of Jacob Blake https://t.co/GbfQddaJfB
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 25, 2020
Rivers also demanded protests be treated the same regardless of who is doing the protesting.
“We protest and they send riot guards. They send people in riot outfits. They go to Michigan with guns and are spitting on cops, and nothing happens,” Rivers observed.
“All we’re asking is you live up to the constitution. That’s all we’re asking for everybody.”
[lawrence-related id=41150,41123,41104,41087]