Tilman Fertitta loves U.S. protests, says it ‘makes America great’

“I encourage all of my employees to speak out on this issue, and let’s make this world better and this country better,” Fertitta said.

In a Tuesday interview on CNBC’s Power Lunch, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta expressed his support for the wave of protests throughout the United States in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.

Protests have erupted in U.S. cities for more than a week after the death of Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis. Updated news information on the subject is available at usatoday.com.

Both the Rockets as an organization and several players as individuals have spoken out regarding Floyd in recent days, and Fertitta told CNBC that he encourages employees across his businesses to speak out.

[lawrence-related id=31764,31717]

Regarding the protests over racial tensions, Fertitta said:

First off, speaking up on issues in America versus speaking up on issues somewhere else in the world are two different matters. In America, we have free speech, we can do whatever want to do and say whatever we want and not be penalized. I 100% believe you should not be a political organization because we have 60,000 employees, 100 million customers, and we don’t always agree.

It’s usually 50% one way, 50% this way, but when it comes to an issue like this in America, you sure should speak out and say exactly what you want. I encourage all of my employees from my basketball team to my restaurants to my hotels to my casinos to speak out on this issue, and let’s make this world better and this country better that we live in that’s been great for so many of us.

Besides the Rockets, Fertitta also owns a wide range of other businesses throughout the county — primarily under the Landry’s Inc. restaurant umbrella and the Golden Nugget casino chain.

Fertitta’s supportive comments come as New York Knicks owner James Dolan has come under fire for choosing not to speak out. Fertitta also shared a solid black image Tuesday to his personal social media accounts, which is designed to show solidarity with the Floyd movement.

Floyd grew up in Houston, where members of his family led tens of thousands in a downtown march on Tuesday afternoon.

Aside from the Floyd protests, what’s also interesting is that Fertitta drew a distinction between speaking up in America versus speaking up on issues elsewhere in the world. The controversial October 2019 tweet about a Hong Kong protest movement from GM Daryl Morey led to both the Rockets and the NBA as a whole losing millions of dollars, and that distinction by Fertitta could be viewed as showing disapproval.

But earlier in the interview, Fertitta said he viewed that controversy as “a disappointment, because that’s what makes America great.”

While Fertitta did not specifically say Hong Kong or China in that remark, the implication was clear. Fertitta also referenced the China controversy last week at a business forum with U.S. President Donald Trump.

[lawrence-related id=30199]

An additional portion of Tuesday’s interview can be watched below. Elsewhere in his commentary, Fertitta said the NBA would come to terms “in the next couple days” on a return plan for the 2019-20 season, which remains on hold due to COVID-19. A formal vote is expected Thursday.

[lawrence-related id=31796,31731]