Another Example Surfaces of Abuse Of Black Players By White Coaches

We begin with Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall, who is being investigated for allegations of verbal and physical abuse from current and former players. The stories have been corroborated by former players and coaches and reported by media outlets, including Sports Illustrated.

Former Wichita State player Shaquille Morris alleges he was punched twice by Marshall during a 2015 practice, and Marshall is also accused of choking assistant coach Kyle Lindsted the following year. Marshall, according to WatchStadium.com, also routinely physically and verbally abused members of the program and demeaned his players with ethnic and racial slurs.

Marshall coached at Winthrop from 1998 to 2007 before joining Wichita State. The descriptions of his behavior there mirror those described by his players at Wichita State, which is conducting an internal investigation now. Multiple former Winthrop players say, according to WatchStadium.com, that Marshall made racist and sexist comments toward players, and that he mocked a player who took prescription medication for his mental health.

Former Winthrop players also detailed various instances in WatchStadium.com reporting when Marshall physically assaulted players on multiple occasions, both on and off the court. In one of the detailed accounts that are coming to light after the WatchStadium.com reporting and the Winthrop investigation, players recall Marshall grabbing a player by the shirt and slamming him against a wall.

“I acknowledge that my coaching style isn’t for everyone. I am passionate and energetic, and countless players have thrived on my programs and excelled in our team culture,” Marshall told The Athletic. “I am not demeaning or abusive. I have always pledged my full-hearted commitment to my team.”

I interviewed Howard University basketball coach Kenny Blakeney for my show The Rematch, and his immediate response was:

“I don’t think white men should be yelling at Black kids. We have a history that goes back to some things that are traumatic with that.”

Here’s the unfortunate reality: This type of abuse with this particular racial dynamic of a white coach abusing Black players happens much more often at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) than people are aware of.

I’m not advocating being soft on players or coddling them. I don’t coach on the college level, but I do coach my son’s AAU team, the FBCG Elite Dynamic Disciples, and any of my players will tell you: I’m not the one to tolerate any foolishness. My son calls me Coach Carter without the cursing. I’m a disciplinarian. I am strict. I hold guys accountable both on and off the floor. “Yes, sir” is the only appropriate response to a coach. But there is a fine line between discipline and abuse.

Blakeney told me he wants young men to understand they don’t have to feel less of a person to do what somebody is asking them to do.

“I want the young men that I coach to be whole, meaning I don’t want them to be mentally or emotionally broken when they leave me. I want to treat young men as if I am coaching my own son. Do I have to coach guys hard sometimes? Yeah, I do, but I want to coach guys in a way where it’s respectful.”

Respectful.

I remember when I was at Syracuse University and we were playing Indiana at the Maui Invitational. Now, this wasn’t a big arena like the Carrier Dome. It was more of an enclosed arena resembling a high school gym, so everyone was close and could hear anyone yelling.

Indiana player A.J. Guyton did something wrong and got subbed out of the game, and as we were advancing the ball up the floor, we heard a loud booming voice that echoed through the gym. It was Coach Bobby Knight humiliating one of the Indiana players.

“You piece of s— motherf—er! Bring your stupid a– here. What the f— are you doing!”

Those were his exact words. My point guard Jason Hart was dribbling the ball up the court, and we both stopped in the middle of the game and stared at him in amazement. And the Indiana player looked like an abused child who had been stripped of his humanity in front of an audience. It was the worst thing I had ever witnessed.

Our assistant coach Louis Orr yelled for us to snap out of it and keep playing, because we paused during the middle of the game, shocked by what we were seeing.

It made me think of the movie Roots when the slave master tied Kunta Kinte to the tree because he wouldn’t answer to his slave name Toby, and he brought all the other enslaved people to watch as he whipped him into accepting his slave name. That’s what I thought of watching Knight publicly and verbally whip the player into submission.

I remember later passing Guyton in the hotel as my teammate Kueth Duany and I were walking around, and he wouldn’t even make eye contact with us. He looked broken.

I also remember Guyton publicly defending Knightafter Indiana player Neil Reed accused Knight of physically choking him at practice.

“Without this system, without Coach Knight challenging me, that would not have been possible,” Guyton said. “I say that because at Indiana you know you’re going to be challenged. I don’t think Neil Reed understood that. In order to become an All-American, you’re going to be challenged by a coach that pushes you to the limit. It’s all a process of a boy becoming a man.”

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I asked my former teammate if he remembered this.

“I had heard and seen the tirades of Coach Knight on TV and it was always part of the lore of ‘The General.’ But getting to see it up close and personal in the Maui Classic was surreal and seeing the real-time reactions of the players,” said Duany. “It was highly uncomfortable seeing the Indiana University player in somewhat a shock and daze so long after the game, walking with his head down, almost like that movie Get Out, a clear gloss over his eyes.

“I think that way of doing things now is not acceptable because we have also learned of the mental health challenges of what it does to some young men. It can lead to some being emotionally bankrupt and forever lacking confidence. These types are always forgotten,” said Duany. “Just speaking to former high-level athletes who’ve dealt with being the punching bag, a vast number are not doing well and hold resentment for many years. I have seen other players become controlled and almost robotic for the coach who in some cases verbally abused the player.”

Let me be clear, I’m not saying this to disparage anyone. I am using this example that I personally witnessed to point out a much bigger issue. I believe this type of abuse happens more often than many are aware of at PWIs. Of course, not at all of them, but more often than it should. Some in plain sight like Knight, others behind closed doors like Marshall.

Some even resulting in tragedy, such as University of Maryland football coach DJ Durkin and strength coach Rick Court in the case of Jordan McNair, who died of a heat stroke and didn’t receive proper medical care during a practice.

It’s important to note that Maryland did conduct an external investigation and fired both coaches, but that was only after public pressure. Their initial reaction was to treat McNair like a diseased slave, throw him overboard and continue sailing. This practice has to change.

Tragedies like this only get revealed after an assistant coach, staff member or former player blows the whistle. It’s a system that allows for this type of abuse to remain prevalent and go unchecked absent public outcry — and, yes, this should sound very similar to the issue with police accountability.

This is why I can appreciate Blakeney having the courage to speak out against college coaches who engage in the emotional and physical abuse of Black college athletes.

Blakeney’s approach should be the mentality adopted by all coaches, because he understands the fine line between discipline and maltreatment, between being a tough demanding coach and being an abuser.

Don’t be surprised if we see an increasing exodus of top Black athletes migrating to historically Black colleges and universities instead of attending PWIs.

The NBA’s Coaching DilemMa

With the LA Clippers officially hiring Tyronn Lueto be their head coach this week, the number of Black head coaches in the NBA is now at six.Out of 30 teams.In a league where nearly 80% of the players are Black, that is troubling, because it is invaluable for players to have a coach who can relate to them.I’m not suggesting that all white coaches have issues relating to Black players. But in my personal experience in the NBA, that was definitely the case.I recently sat down with my former Washington Wizards teammate Larry Hughes and we discussed our experiences under both Doug Collins, who is white, and Eddie Jordan, who is Black. Hughes and I reminisced about a failed attempt by Collins to relate to his players.

Nelly’s song “Dilemma” with Kelly Rowland had come out, and Hughes had a cameo in the music video. (Good song.) One day, Collins comes into the training room rapping and dancing like Kris Kross back in the day, lifting up his knees and pointing his hands to the floor (young people may not remember this image, but that’s the best way I can describe it), saying to everyone, “I know this song Nelly Kelly, right? I’m hip, I’m down,” and attempting to rap the hook.

“No matter what I do/all I think about is you/even when I’m with my boo.”

Picture that for a moment. A 50-year-old white man coming into a training room filled with Black players trying to rap. We all just looked at him. Some snickered, while others like me were in utter disbelief. There was an awkward silence, then Collins turned around and went back to his office.

It was Christian Laettner who said, “What the hell was that?” as we all burst into laughter.

But what Collins was attempting to do was what many white coaches have had difficulty doing: relating to Black players. Now, not all attempts are epic failures like this one, but I have seen my share of misses.

Coach Jordan, on the other hand, would simply pull you to the side or into his office and just talk with you. It didn’t feel forced. It didn’t feel manufactured, and he actually connected with guys.

Hughes said he didn’t have that connection with Collins.

“When I was with Doug, he would always ask me, ‘Are you OK? Is everything OK?’ ” Hughes said. “He was just nervous around me because of my demeanor and it would make him nervous.”

I can relate to that because Collins didn’t know how to communicate with me, either. Some of his former assistant coaches later told me that I made him uncomfortable because he couldn’t get a read on me and didn’t know what box to put me in, and that made him nervous. So my question is, how do you coach people you are nervous around?

For me, having that connection with Jordan was crucial. It built a relationship and a trust that translated on the court.

During my time with the Wizards, I released my first book of poetry, More Than An Athlete. I was also performing spoken word and delivering speeches all over Washington about politics, racism and police brutality. Coach Jordan would sometimes ask me about my thoughts and opinions on certain topics and just listen to me. He would share his experiences and we would just talk. He showed a genuine interest in what I was interested in and we connected. That’s how you develop a relationship with a coach, simply by communicating.

And that translated on the court as well. Because of our communication during games, what he specifically wanted out of my position and the role he wanted me to play, I trusted him. So even during the times when I wasn’t getting as much playing time as I wanted to, and he told me that I had to outwork who was playing in front of me to earn more playing time, I was able to trust him and implement exactly what he wanted. That resulted in me being the preferred center despite being 4 or 5 inches shorter than our starting center. All that happened because of communication and trust.

Again, I am not saying that all white coaches are nervous around Black players. You see white coaches with great connections to Black players. Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors is a perfect example. Stan Van Gundy, who was recently hired by the New Orleans Pelicans and whose recent willingness to speak out on activism has connected him with players on a level that probably far surpasses his previous stints in Orlando and Detroit. And just to be clear, I’m not someone who believes Steve Nash got the job in Brooklyn because of white privilege. That was simply because Kevin Durant, who developed a relationship with Nash when he was a special assistant in Golden State, pushed for him to get the job and Kyrie Irving co-signed.

But what I witnessed and experienced in Washington with my white coach versus what I experienced with my Black coach was worlds apart.

And in today’s world, there is a need for Black leadership. Say what you want about Doc Rivers’ performance with the Clippers in the 2020 playoffs, but his presence in the bubble was crucial for players. He could relate to them in ways others couldn’t.

There’s a reason a lot of white coaches send the Black assistant coach to be a buffer with the players.

“Who can normally do that?” Hughes said. “It’s usually people who look like us. Have swag like us. That know how to translate and know how to play both sides. And they typically are not using the white assistant coaches in that role because they can’t play both sides. But it is the Black guy because he can play both sides. That’s how we’ve grown up, that’s been our culture. We’ve had to go from one side to the other side very quickly. And if you can relate and be that guy. …

“T-Lue is one of those guys. He went from being that connector to leading those guys to a championship.”

If NBA teams look to Black assistant coaches to have someone to relate to the players, why not just make the head person the one who can actually relate?

Why do we continue to see coaches who have proven themselves unable to connect to players be recycled while certain Black coaches who have had success on the court and with players aren’t given opportunities?

Assistant coaches Randy Brown (Chicago Bulls), Greg Buckner (Memphis Grizzlies), Sam Cassell (Clippers), Jarron Collins (Warriors), Howard Eisley (New York Knicks), Darvin Ham (Atlanta Hawks), Tim Hardaway Sr. (Detroit Pistons), Popeye Jones (Indiana Pacers), Jamahl Mosley (Dallas Mavericks), Ed Pinckney (Minnesota Timberwolves), Ime Udoka (San Antonio Spurs), Wes Unseld Jr. (Denver Nuggets) and Nick Van Exel (Grizzlies) are among the candidates who should get an opportunity.

Mark Jackson, meanwhile, last coached in the league in 2014. Many of his former players in Golden State spoke highly of him, including Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala. Kerr has also given Jackson credit for making the Warriors a great defensive team, going from 27th in the league in defensive efficiency to fourth in his final season.

So why does someone with this amount of success on the court as well as the obvious connection with his players get passed up for jobs?

I asked Jackson this past season if he had any interest in coaching again.

“I certainly do have an interest in coaching professional basketball again,” he said. “I had a blast and the time of my life coaching in Golden State for three years. Developed relationships, had a level of success, it was a fun time for me. And I certainly look forward to the opportunity of one day coaching again.”

There were nine coaching vacancies this offseason. Seven have been filled so far, with only two Black head coach candidates getting jobs.

Byron Scott last coached for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016. He once suggested that more players should advocate for Black coaches to get head-coaching jobs like Kobe Bryant did for him.

Maybe that’s the solution.

Dwight Howard & Javale MCGee provided Valuable lessons for my AAU Team

Dwight Howard experienced a rebirth this season with the Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, his redemption during his second stint with the Lakers has been one of the more inspiring comeback stories in recent NBA history. 

People have short memories. They forget that Howard was an eight-time NBA All-Star, five-time All-NBA First Team member and three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner before he turned 30. He is one of six players to post 13,000 points, 2,000 blocks and 1,000 steals (along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robert Parish, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan). But this season, he was playing on a non-guaranteed contract, as rumors swirled that this may be his last chance to keep his career afloat before he found himself out of the league. So, needless to say, he had a lot riding on this season.  

Then you have JaVale McGee, who had a lot of success with the Golden State Warriors three seasons ago; and although he didn’t play a ton of minutes, he provided instant production every time he checked into the game. When the Lakers signed him, many around the NBA questioned how he would be able to contribute and if he just looked good because he was on a good Warriors team.

But he exceeded everyone’s expectations in the 2018-19 season, as he averaged a career-high 12 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2 blocks in just over 22 minutes per game. It was arguably one of the best years of his career; he started at center a total of 75 times. His play forced all doubters, even Shaq, to put some respect on his name. And building on that momentum was big for JaVale coming into this year, so needless to say, he had a lot riding on this season as well. 

McGee's numbers weren't quite as flashy in his second season with the Lakers, but his efficiency improved along with his advanced metrics (such as his offensive rating and defensive box-plus minus). Still, his impact was felt on the floor. 

However, as teams like the Houston Rockets fully embraced the concept of small ball -- and with Lakers head coach Frank Vogel simply electing for a strategy switch in the NBA Finals versus the Miami Heat -- both centers saw their playing time dramatically reduced during the playoffs. 

But here’s the most important thing: They didn’t become distractions. They didn't protest or have their agents make public statements. Players have many go-to tactics when their minutes are reduced or when they are not being utilized to their individual advantage -- especially in a contract year -- but we didn't see Howard or McGee go that route. They opted to be the ultimate team players, accepting whatever roles they were given for the good of the team. 

And as a result, they both received high praise from Coach Vogel, who explained to reporters that it was a big relief that both McGee and Howard had been so selfless and understanding in regards to their fluctuating playing time. 

"Their role acceptance in a matchup-oriented series like this is everything. and it’s a big reason why we’re winning," Vogel said. "If they’re unhappy or disgruntled or anything like that, it pulls away from what we’re trying to do. Those guys deserve a lot of credit for their approach and handling the role that’s been given to them for this series."

Anthony Davis added: "A lot of guys can just fade away and be upset that they’re not playing. Guys come in and say they want to do whatever to help the team win, but when they don’t get minutes, they, like I said, fade away. But those guys said at the start of the season that they want to be here and do whatever they can to help the team, and you see it."

Instead of sulking, the big men became the team's most vocal cheerleaders. 

"They’re the loudest guys on our bench, cheering for our guys, talking to us during the game, talking to us during timeouts and that’s what we need," Davis said of Howard and McGee. "Two guys who have been in the league for a long time. Dwight’s been to the Finals, JaVale [won] multiple championships, so those guys know what it takes to win and we try to listen to them. And when their number is called, they still do the right thing to be ready." 

When asked about his reduced minutes, McGee kept it simple.

“Well, a year ago, we weren’t winning," McGee said. "So it’s your priorities, you know what I’m saying? I want to win. So if that’s what we’ve got to do to win, that’s what we’ve got to do

"Being in Golden State led to a mindset where I’m not worried about minutes. I’m worried about if these minutes work to win the game, then I’m down for it. If we’re losing and this is happening then it’s a different situation, but you can’t complain about minutes when you’re winning,” 

Not all NBA players would've handled this situation like Dwight and JaVale. I have seen guys literally throw tantrums on the bench when they aren’t getting their minutes. I’ve seen guys jump up and down like 5-year-olds when they get taken out of the starting lineup. I’ve seen guys literally pout -- bottom lip stuck-out, arms folded, feet crossed, not cheering when the person who replaced them does something applause-worthy on the court, even if other players around them are cheering. Not everyone is a consummate professional.

I have seen it all, and that’s at every level -- NBA, college, high school and AAU; and that negativity begins to spread throughout the locker room and on the bench. Then, guys who aren’t playing the minutes they would like begin to gravitate toward other guys who don’t play and form a no-playing-time bond of negativity. 

I’ve coached my son’s AAU team, FBCG Elite Dynamic Disciples, for about five or six years now, and I have definitely seen my share of pouting and tantrums. But I have also seen players handle fluctuations in playing time with the maturity that Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee displayed, and it has definitely benefited them. 

I have a player named Camar Gregorio (Class of 2022 and Maryland Independent League 2019-20 State Champion with Lanham Christian High School), who is our Dennis Rodman. I give all the guys a player to study and tell them that’s their player comparison, and Rodman is exactly who Camar embodies. The tenacity, going after every rebound, two, three, four efforts; he just has a nose for the ball after a missed shot. But like Rodman, he is undersized, so sometimes when there is a bigger front line, he doesn’t play as much, as I elect to match the opposing big man height-wise.

We didn’t play this past season due to COVID-19 concerns, but last summer in the semifinals of one of our tournaments, we played a team who had been bullying everyone -- fastbreaking, dunking, all the extra antics and everything. In scouting them, we discovered that they couldn’t shoot from the outside and scored primarily by driving into the paint after they spread the court (like the Houston Rockets, but without the threes), so we made an adjustment and went big. We put our two centers in the game and played a tight 2-3 zone to force them to shoot outside, and we gave instructions for the guards to slowly rotate to the three-point shooters; the other team wanted a hard close-out to drive right past us because that was their strength (Coach Boeheim would be proud). 

So we packed it in and dared them to shoot, and it worked. They were bricking all over the place, and our bigs were rebounding and outletting. We stayed with that lineup, but Camar hardly played. Now, normally he is the best rebounder we have, but I just wanted size and crowding the paint, so that was the strategy. Camar didn’t pout and didn’t sulk; he cheered for his teammates with as much enthusiasm as we saw from Dwight and JaVale on the sidelines when they weren’t in the game. 

Camar came back in the championship game, played literally almost the entire time and was his normal self. After the season, Camar was voted by his teammates as our MVP for the season. It had nothing to do with scoring because he wasn’t a big scorer. He had Rodman numbers consistently all season -- four or five points, but 15 rebounds, five steals, three floor dives, 10 second-chance attempts to keep the ball in play and 100 percent positivity no matter how many minutes he played.

I have another player, DJ Seedan. He’s about 6-foot-9 and he's in the Class of 2022 at Southern Maryland Christian Academy. He has the ability to control a game defensively. His player comparison was Lew Alcindor (before he became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). He’s not the over-aggressive Dwight Howard/Alonzo Mourning-type of big man, but rather the finesse, skilled and athletic-type. DJ can jump-hook with both hands in the lane, knock down jumpers and will block and alter every shot that comes into the lane. When the opposing team has a traditional big man, those games usually result in DJ shining, as he is more skilled than most big men at this age. But when teams go small at times and I’m forced to play him less, he always keeps a positive attitude and stays ready in case his name is called. 

Chris Davis is a member of the Class of 2022 at Takoma Academy. He's a big man who can play multiple positions and impact the entire game on both sides of the floor; his player comparison is Joel Embiid. He is a big, athletic body that can dominate, inside and out. I remember one game in particular where we were playing against an older team in Virginia; we found ourselves down by almost 20 at halftime. Our third-string point guard, Nickalus Smith -- who has the highest basketball IQ on the team -- doesn’t always get the chance to play, but is always locked in and positive (he's going to make a great head coach one day). That day, Nickalus pulled me to the side and suggested I exploit the pick-and-roll because the opposing bigs don’t have a lot of lateral movement. Knowing good coaches listen to suggestions from players, I went with it, and Nick’s strategy worked. Chris was unstoppable; he had about 20 second-half points -- pick-and-roll, pick-and-pop, pick-roll hit the corner. They had no answer for him. 

But DJ and Camar didn’t get back in the game. Nobody pouted, nobody threw a tantrum and everyone was cheering and clapping during our epic comeback. So when I saw Dwight and JaVale’s enthusiastic cheering on the sidelines throughout the entire postseason, their positive body language whether they played five minutes, 25 minutes or zero minutes, the first thing I thought about was the positive example they are setting. They are reinforcing what I preach to my guys everyday. 

I explain to my players that colleges ask me about my guys and comment on their attitude all the time.  They are watching everything. Nobody wants a head case in their locker room, and these teachings are going to pay off for these guys in the long run because college coaches have scratched many players off their list simply because of their attitudes. There aremany NBA players who have found themselves out of the league due to their poor attitude and negative reputation too. 

Teams want good locker-room guys, and mark my words, our players took notice of the positive attitudes and team players that JaVale and Dwight were on their road to winning the NBA championship. 

Now, personally, I think the Lakers would be out of their minds not to bring both of them back, but just in case they don’t, they’ve put themselves in position to get a nice payday from another team -- mostly because of their positive attitude, their willingness to sacrifice for the team and their ability to make a significant impact whenever their number was called.

People have been hating on LeBron all seasons

Following the Los Angeles Lakers' last-second loss to the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James was criticized by fans and pundits for passing to Danny Green on the final play rather than attempting the game-winning shot himself. James was triple-teamed on the play and passing to Green was the right decision, but LeBron's haters saw an opportunity to bash him and pounced on it.

Throughout this NBA season, I've watched as these critics have come up with absurd reasons to hate on LeBron. These takes are all over social media (especially on Facebook) as well as on various sports TV shows and sports-talk-radio programs. Nobody is above criticism; however, with James, it feels like he can't win with these people. Regardless of what he does, someone will get upset. Some of the hate he receives is outrageous and just plain ridiculous. Sometimes, the information is factual, but it's presented just to spread negativity. 

As I saw more and more examples of this throughout the season, I started keeping a list of these critiques. These are actual takes that I have heard or read throughout this season:

BEFORE THE SEASON

1. In the Western Conference, LeBron could never accomplish what he did in the watered-down East. 

2. How many times has LeBron been to the NBA Finals and lost? 

3. LeBron had to form a super-team, so his Miami championships shouldn’t be respected.

4. LeBron needed a Dwyane Wade or a Kyrie Irving by his side to win.

5. LeBron just isn’t a killer like Michael Jordan, and he doesn't have the Mamba mentality. 

6. LeBron doesn’t have a go-to move like MJ or Kobe. 

7. Unlike LeBron, MJ and Kobe stayed on the same team, overcame their rivals and then won titles. 

8. Never forget when he disappeared against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals!

9. LeBron is too old and slow.

10. LeBron can’t win the big games.

11. LeBron should never be put in the GOAT conversation.

12. LeBron talked the Lakers into trading away their entire team for ONE player; no one is worth that! The Pelicans won the Anthony Davis trade. GM LeBron strikes again.

13. LeBron gets all the glory and praise when his team wins and his teammates get all the blame when they lose. Then, folks say he doesn’t have any help! 

DURING THE REGULAR SEASON

14. The Lakers just lost to the Clippers on opening night! The Clippers are the better team.

15. Kawhi Leonard is the best player in Los Angeles, not LeBron.

16. The Lakers are scared of the Clippers, and LeBron is scared of Kawhi.

17. Okay... LeBron and the Lakers are winning games, but they haven’t beaten a good team yet!

18. The Lakers are beating good teams because LeBron has a super-team! The Lakers are stacked!

19. LeBron is so narcissistic; he only cares about himself.

20. LeBron is a stat-chaser. 

21. LeBron only scores and dominates because he’s bigger than everyone else.

22. LeBron could never play in Michael Jordan's era. 

23. LeBron is ranked too high on NBA 2K! 

24. They spent too much time perfecting LeBron’s face and mannerisms on 2K. Why didn't they put that level of detail into the other players?!

25. LeBron is smiling and joking too much on the court. He isn't serious enough.

26. LeBron doesn’t smile enough on the court. He’s too serious.

DURING THE PLAYOFFS

27. The Blazers are dangerous. The Lakers do NOT want to see them the first round. They will be a problem.

28. The Lakers lost Game 1 to the Blazers! "If the Lakers don’t win a championship, let alone lose in the first round, I don’t want to hear none of this GOAT talk no more."

29. LeBron’s not dedicated to basketball because he’s too focused on social activism. 

30. The NBA's ratings are down because of “woke” LeBron, in particular. He needs to stick to sports (AKA "shut up and dribble").  

31. Who does he think he is, Muhammad Ali? Why do we need to know what he is reading ? 

32. LeBron is corrupting all of the other NBA players to be anti-American and disrespect the flag and criticize our President and be against all cops. A loss for him is a win for America.

33. Just wait until the Clippers and Lakers meet in the playoffs... The Clippers are winning easily!

34. The Rockets are dangerous! Their small-ball can really challenge Los Angeles! 

35. The Nuggets are dangerous! The comeback kids can beat LeBron and the Lakers! 

36. LeBron and the Lakers haven't had to face any good teams on their path to the NBA Finals!

37. The refs are giving LeBron a ton of favorable calls.

38. MJ never cried to the refs the way LeBron does.

39. My conspiracy theory: The NBA powers that be want LeBron to win this championship. 

40. The Clippers would've defeated LeBron and the Lakers easily.

41. If Miami was fully healthy, they would be defeating the Lakers.

42. If the Lakers win this championship, it will actually hurt LeBron's legacy.

43. The Lakers went on a run while LeBron was on the bench. They may actually play better without him. 

44. LeBron jokes around all the time, but now he wants to get on his teammates for joking around on the bench during the blowout in Game 2? LeBron is a hypocrite.

45. LeBron didn't celebrate with his teammates after the Western Conference Finals. He’s a bad teammate. A good leader would’ve been celebrating with his teammates.

46. LeBron wouldn’t have had the success he is having this season if it weren’t for Anthony Davis, so LeBron shouldn’t be getting the credit he is getting. AD should win Finals MVP!

47. LeBron is playing well, but it's only because this is the softest era in the history of the NBA.

48. Look at LeBron walking off the floor with 10 seconds left in the game. That’s not something a GOAT (or a good leader) would do.

49. This championship wouldn't really count for LeBron because it was in the bubble, so it should have an asterisk by it.

50. The real GOAT would have taken the last shot! Michael Jordan wouldn't have passed the ball!

So, there you have it. Did I miss anything?

The sad part is, as divided as this country is at the moment, hating on LeBron has become the unifying force that has brought many people together. I see hate from people of all races, colors, religions, nationalities, tax brackets and political parties. And, although I stopped at 50 examples, I’m sure there were plenty more that I could’ve listed. So, the question is: why all the hate?

Mark Cuban: This isn’t the same Lebron James We beat in 2011

Recently, I interviewed Mark Cuban for my podcast, “The Rematch” (which is part of the BasketballNews.com Podcast Network) and one of the many topics we discussed was when his Dallas Mavericks defeated LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals - a series that has haunted James for a decade. 

Back then, James was trying to win his first-ever championship. Now, he is on the verge of winning his fourth title. When asked to compare present-day LeBron to 2011 LeBron, Cuban said he’s drastically changed. 

“It’s night and day,” Cuban said. “He has the basketball-IQ level now; he’s just a basketball savant. The way he sees and reads what’s happening on the court in real time and stays three steps ahead is incredible. And that’s what makes him special - in addition to his athleticism. He didn’t have that [back in 2011]. We would run a zone against him and he would hesitate and not know what to do. He’s not going to hesitate now. He knows exactly what’s coming and what to do and anticipates it.

“He can talk to you about a basketball game and every single play that’s happened like some of us would talk about a book that we just read. Those two things are enormous differences. He can now beat you in so many different ways. He’s still athletic enough. His skill-set has improved. His passing. But those all tie back to his basketball IQ and that’s something that wasn’t as developed as it is now.”

In 2011, LeBron was in the midst of his first season with the Heat and mainstream America was upset with the superstar. Many sports fans across the country turned on James after “The Decision,” which was watched by 10 million viewers (according to Nielsen). 

(I personally had no problem with “The Decision” in any way, shape or form; I actually applauded him for taking control of the narrative and not feeling like he owed Cleveland or Cavaliers governor Dan Gilbert anything, but I digress.).

LeBron also received myriad criticism for forming a “super-team” in Miami with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. 

(I also didn’t have an issue with this and I found it ironic that one of his loudest critics, Charles Barkley, was guilty of doing something similar, joining the Houston Rockets to play with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler in 1996; it just didn’t result in a championship for him).

After LeBron’s guaranteed that the Heat would win “not one, not two, not three championships…” it hurt his reputation and he was perceived as an arrogant, conceited, pompous a$$#&@€. He was now despised and cast as the villain. As ABC News labeled him in this 2011 article, he was “The Most Hated Man in Basketball.”

So when they lost to Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals and LeBron had a series that wasn’t very Chosen-One-esque, people lined up, rocks in hand, ready to stone his reputation to death. 

Now, statistically, he didn’t have a terrible series. But by LeBron’s standards, it was disappointing. Here were his stat lines for that series:

Game 1: 24 points, 9 boards, 5 assists, 4 threes, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 56.3 FG%

Game 2: 20 points, 8 boards, 4 assists, 4 steals, 1 block, 5 turnovers 53.3 FG% 

Game 3: 17 points, 9 assists, 3 boards, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, 42.9 FG%

Game 4: 8 points, 9 boards, 7 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, 27.3 FG%

Game 5: 17 points, 10 boards, 10 assists, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 42.1 FG%

Game 6: 21 points, 6 assists, 4 boards, 2 threes, 1 block, 1 steal, 6 turnovers, 60 FG%

Even though, on paper, these performances don’t seem too bad, his plus/minus was -24 in Game 6. He was tentative and completely off-course at times, and over-aggressive and almost clumsy at others. It was shocking to see LeBron, who was so dominant at that time, looking human. 

He was taking too many jump shots and was as hesitant and passive as ever with the ball in his hands. He passed when he should have shot; he shot when he should have passed. He looked like he didn’t know the offensive plays at times and he was consistently looking to the refs to bail him out. 

To make matters worse, LeBron seemed to be a liability on defense - he appeared utterly lost on his coverage, rotations and defensive assignments. Again, it appeared as though he wasn’t even on the same page as his teammates and didn’t know the defensive game-plan. 

As a result, the multitude of newly formulated LeBron haters took tremendous pleasure in this, rejoicing as he struggled. Not because they were Dallas Mavericks fans or had an issue with the Miami Heat, but because LeBron James, in particular, had failed. 

“He was the number two guy with the Heat and you could tell on the court. That was Dwyane’s team,” Cuban added. “It wasn’t like Dwyane came to his team. Now, LeBron’s that guy. Period. End of story. [Now], he says who comes on that team, how it’s gonna work, what they’re doing.” 

Interesting point. 

Many will argue that Anthony Davis is “the best player in the world” (as Markieff Morris declared after Game 1 of the Finals). Now, for the record, he also said the same thing about LeBron in response to another question. But the point is, despite LeBron’s impressive numbers, many have crowned Anthony Davis as the team’s MVP. 

However, this is still LeBron’s team. 

Anthony Davis may, in fact, be replacing Kyrie Irving as the most productive teammate that LeBron has played with during his career. This postseason, Davis is averaging 28.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 blocks, 1.2 steals and 1.1 threes (on 57.8/40.4/82.9 shooting splits). 

Previously, the most points that one of LeBron’s teammates averaged in the playoffs was Irving’s 25.9 points per game in 2017, followed by Irving’s 25.2 PPG average in 2016 and Wade’s 24.5 PPG average in 2011. Wade was actually the Heat’s leading scorer during the 2011 postseason (averaging 24.5 points to James' 23.7). Now, scoring isn’t everything. But Cuban is right: that was still D-Wade’s team. Just like this is still LeBron’s team, even with Davis dropping a whopping 29.1 points a night.

Davis may be the Lakers’ MVP of the postseason (or even the bubble). He may be the Lakers’ most dominant player on both ends of the floor. But, make no mistake, this is LeBron’s team. 

Here are the facts: LeBron is on the verge of winning his fourth championship and bringing at least one title to three different teams. He has four NBA MVP awards, three NBA Finals MVP awards and two Olympic gold medals. He also holds the all-time record for playoff points, and he has recorded the third-most points in NBA history and the eighth-most assists of all-time. 

Still, LeBron haters will probably always be LeBron haters (and it’s not just Paul Pierce).

But, overall, I would have to agree with Mark Cuban. Without a doubt, this is a very different LeBron James than the one we saw in the 2011 NBA Finals.

ShaQ, Barkley’s misinformed comments were disrespectful

Throughout the entire NBA and WNBA restart in the bubble, player after player has verbalized the importance of arresting the officers who killed Breonna Taylor. They wore shirts with her name and redirected all questions during their media sessions to the importance of this case. Coaches discussed it during their press conferences and called for justice too. 

L.A. Clippers forward Paul George told reporters that he would not answer any basketball questions and would only address questions specifically involving the Breonna Taylor case. Denver Nuggets forward Jerami Grant did the same.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray wore a tribute to Breonna Taylor and George Floyd on his sneakers. 

“In life, you find things that hold value to you - things to fight for,” Murray told TNT during the first round of the playoffs. “We found something worth fighting for as an NBA, as a collective unit. I use these shoes as a symbol to keep fighting. These shoes give me life. Even though these people are gone, they help me find strength.”

Nuggets head coach Mike Malone told reporters: “I just put myself in Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend’s shoes. I’m in my apartment, wherever I am living. Somebody breaks into my house at 2 or 3 in the morning. I am going to feel like somebody should not be there. … I know we’ve been using our platform down here to try to bring about education and a voice in a lot of players on our team, especially speaking out on justice for Breonna Taylor. We have not gotten that justice. That’s a shame. Hopefully that will change at some point.”

The Breonna Taylor case was on the hearts and minds of just about everyone in the bubble, and players and coaches were using their platforms to make sure the world knew about this case as well.

Then, the moment finally arrived that a verdict was given. 

The decision was announced on Wednesday that a Louisville grand jury would indict officer Brett Hankison on three felony charges of wanton endangerment in the killing of Taylor. So, for those who don’t know, that means the cop was charged not for firing the bullets that took the life of Breonna Taylor, but rather for the bullets that missed and endangered people in other apartments. 

And, as one would imagine, this news hit the entire NBA world hard. 

Los Angeles Lakers guard Danny Green told reporters on Wednesday that LeBron James texted the grand jury’s findings to the entire team as they were preparing to have a team meeting between Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference Finals. LeBron took to Twitter to comment:

On Thursday night, after the Lakers’ win against Denver that put Los Angeles up 3-1 in the series, James told reporters, “We want justice, no matter how long it takes. We lost a beautiful woman in Breonna. I have a daughter at home and a wife and a Mom and thinking about if they were gunned down… it’s a tragedy. Our hearts are with that family.” 

“I wasn’t surprised,” Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown added. “I think that this society — the way it was built — its intentions was to never protect and serve people of color initially.“

Many other players took to Twitter to vent such as DeMarcus Cousins, Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas, Montrezl Harrell, Lexie Brown of the Minnesota Lynx, Tianna Hawkins of the Washington Mystics, Layshia Clarendon of the New York Liberty and many others.

The collective NBA and WNBA family was heartbroken at yet another instance of the justice system failing to value a Black life. NBA games ironically resumed with the words Black Lives Matter painted on the court, but absent from reality. In fact, Michael Vick’s dogs received more justice than Breonna Taylor.

Then came Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley’s comments on TNT’s “Inside The NBA” on Thursday night. 

Barkley proclaimed live on air that you can't put the Breonna Taylor case in the same sentence as the death of George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery because her boyfriend shot at the police. He are his exact words:

"I don't think this one was like George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery and things like that," Barkley said. "I feel sad that this young lady lost her life. I think this one was — the no-knock warrant is something we need to get rid of … across the board. But I am worried to lump all these situations in together.

“And I just feel bad that the young lady lost her life. But we do have to take into account that her boyfriend shot at the cops and shot a cop. So like I say, even though I am really sorry she lost her life, I don't think that we can put this in the same situation as George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery. I just don't believe that."

Shaq weighed in and said, "I have to agree with Charles, this one is sort of lumped in. You have to get a warrant signed and some states do allow no-knock warrants. And everyone was asking for murder charges. When you talk about murder, you have to show intent. A homicide occurred and we're sorry a homicide occurred. When you have a warrant signed by the judge, you are doing your job, and I would imagine that you would fire back."

Barkley went on to say, "Who are Black people supposed to call, Ghostbusters, when we have crime in our neighborhood? We need to stop the defund or abolish the police crap."

It would be nice if these two respected and beloved commentators would fact-check their positions before they used their incredible platform to give out inaccurate information. Their entire exchange is incredibly inaccurate and it would take two articles to break down the misinformation they spewed, but here are a few points of contention:

1. Barkley, when describing why the Breonna Talylor case differs from other cases he mentioned, simply says “because he shot at the police” without providing any context. 

According to the testimony of Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker: “Walker told investigators he heard banging at the door and assumed it was Taylor's ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover. Taylor, who had awoken, shouted, ‘Who is it?’ but Walker said there was no response. He said he and Taylor scrambled to get dressed and that he grabbed his gun, which his attorney has said he legally owns. He said both he and Taylor were yelling, ‘Who is it?’ but received no response. As they made their way toward the front door, Walker said, the door flew off its hinges. ‘So I just let off one shot,’ he said. ‘I still can't see who it is or anything.’" 

This is very different than saying, “He shot at the cops first.” Now, I’m not expecting Charles Barkley to go into this level of detail during his “Inside The NBA” segment, but if he is going to comment on this, he has to at least give proper context. 

2. Barkley repeats the often-expressed false narrative of “defund” and “abolish” being synonyms. Again, if he is going to comment on this, he needs to be fully educated on the subject or at least the English language. The fact is “defund the police” means “reallocating or redirecting funding away from the police department to other government agencies funded by the local municipality.” That’s it. So, the police are responsible for areas they are trained to be responsible for. For example, issues involving mental health can be left to people trained to handle mental-health challenges. 

Dr. Rashawn Ray, a Professor of Sociology and Executive Director of the Lab for Applied Social Science Research (LASSR) at the University of Maryland, College Park, recently explained in detail what defunding the police actually means in an article titled “What does defund the police mean and does it have merit” (which you can read in full here).

“Advocates for the defund movement like Phillip McHarris and Thenjiwe McHarris argue that shifting funding to social services that can improve things such as mental health, addiction, and homelessness is a better use of taxpayer money,” he writes. “This approach further enhances the push to decriminalize and destigmatize people with mental-health conditions and addiction problems.”

Again, I’m not expecting Barkley to go into this level of detail during his “Inside The NBA” segment. But if he is going to comment on this, he needs to be well-informed of the facts. 

The NBA and its players hold the entire crew of TNT's "Inside The NBA” in high regard. They have become must-see TV for the majority of NBA players and fans. And I, for one, am all for the exchange of different opinions and discussions and debates. That’s not the issue here. 

But giving an accurate and factual portrayal when discussing a topic that is near and dear to the entire NBA world should be a requirement given the platform that O’Neal and Barkley have. Spewing false narratives and giving inaccurate information and drawing conclusions based on those inaccuracies is not only irresponsible but disrespectful to Breonna Taylor, her loved ones, activists fighting for justice, NBA players who took up her cause and everyone else involved. 

Critics want Lebron to fail just as they did with ali

The day after shocking the world by defeating Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship in 1964, the man then known as Cassius Clay shocked the world again when he announced that he was abandoning his “slave name”, joining the Nation Of Islam, and would from that day forward only answer to, or acknowledge the name, Muhammad Ali. 

And on that day, he became more than an athlete. 

He abandoned the previously accepted role for Black athletes, which was to entertain the white masses with their athletic prowess, be grateful for the benefits, and remain silent on anything outside of sports. 

Ali was the opposite of that. He called out racism, challenged oppression, demanded respect, was mentored by Malcolm X, and embraced his status as a social critic. And much of white America despised him for that. They appreciated his talent, hated his politics, and wanted to do everything in their power to silence him. 

In that sense, LeBron James has become this generation’s Muhammad Ali 

Enter Colby Covington. This past weekend, the UFC fighter dedicated his victory over Tyron Woodley to “all the first responders, all the military out there” before directing his comments to James. 

“This world would not be safe without you guys,” Covington said. “You keep us safe, not these woke athletes, man. I’m sick of these woke athletes, and these spineless cowards like LeBron James.”

The Trump supporter then turned his attention to the upcoming presidential election for good measure. “Ladies and gentlemen, the silent majority is ready to make some noise,” Covington said while draped in an American flag. “If you thought that was a beating, wait until 3 November when Donald Trump gets his hands on Sleepy Joe [Biden]. That’s going to be a landslide.”

You may ask why a UFC fighter was focused on a basketball player after his moment of victory. It’s the same reason why Muhammad Ali’s name was brought up so many times and with the same vitriol when he was calling out racism in the 1960s. Because athletes with the influence of James and Ali pose an immediate threat to those who oppose them.

Oddly for a man who doesn’t like James acting “woke” and failing to stick to sports, Covington soon entwined himself even further with politics. In what appeared to be a scripted stunt, he was interrupted during his press conference by a call from Trump. “Oh the president is calling me,” said Covington. Needless to say, his acting skills could use a little more work, but he and Trump chatted on speakerphone, with the president telling Covington: “You are something ... I appreciated the shout-out tonight, too. I’m your fan, you’re my fan. Two of a kind, two of a kind.”

Trump, of course, is the man who rallied his base against Colin Kaepernick and called NFL players who peacefully protested the wave of killings of unarmed Black men and women by police “sons of bitches”. The same man who tweeted that players who earn “millions” should not be allowed to show “disrespect” (he did not specify disrespect to what, but this is not someone who cares about details). And, yes, the same person who publicly called James dumb for saying something he didn’t like. “Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do,” he tweeted in August 2018.

Trump has done everything in his power to get his base to turn their ire on any Black athlete whose politics he disagrees with. However, when athletes do support his cause, he does everything in his power to elevate them. He’ll invite them to speak at the Republican National Convention, as he did with Herschel Walker. He’ll invite them to the White House, as he did with Jim Brown and Ray Lewis. He’ll publicly praise your “intelligence”, as he did with Tiger Woods. And he’ll conduct a scripted “spontaneous” call for you after your UFC victory, as he did with Covington. 

So it’s not that Trump doesn’t like politics in sports, it’s just that he only wants politics in sports when it suits him. And that proves he is exactly the hypocrite we thought he was. 

With adversaries as morally dubious as Covington and Trump, James shouldn’t worry about being attacked for his views, as Ali was attacked by his critics in the 1960s. We all know how politicians came to see him in the end: 40 years after being attacked as a traitor, he was awarded the presidential medal of freedom. 

The boo’s at the nfl opener show what much of white america thinks of equality

“I have great respect for men and women who fought for this country. I have family, I have friends who have gone and fought for this country. They fight for freedom. They fight for the people, and they fight for liberty and justice.” 

https://youtu.be/ka0446tibig

Those are the words of Colin Kaepernick speaking to the media after he first took a knee during the National Anthem on September 1, 2016. Afterwards, he spoke with media for 18 minutes straight explaining why he was taking a knee, what it meant and specifically what it didn’t mean. He couldn’t have been more clear. And yet, his message was hijacked to be Anti-American, Anti-Military, Anti-All White People, and Anti-Police. Even though that’s the complete opposite of everything he expressed. 

So from that day on, any semblance of taking a knee, standing in unity with the movement started by Kaepernick has been completely rejected by much of white America. This was on full display in last night’s season opener as the Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Houston Texans in a season opener that will be etched in history for all of the wrong reasons. 

The chiefs were allowed to have close to 17,000 fans (as if the coronavirus is no longer a concern but I digress) and right before kickoff, players from both teams got together for what was called a “Moment Of Unity” following the performance of the National Anthem and “Lift Every Voice And Sing” commonly known as the Black National Anthem. 

Houston Texans executive Vice President Of football operations Jack Easterly told NBC Sports that the demonstration was “Not about Black or white. It’s about change.” 

Seven phrases developed by players on both teams were displayed on the scoreboard during the moment:

• We Support Equality

• We Must End Racism

• We Believe in Justice for All

• We Must End Police Brutality

• We Choose Unconditional Love

• We Believe Black Lives Matter

• It Takes All of Us

Reportedly, this was originally conceived in part by Texans QB Deshaun Watson and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (both of whom are Black) and it was fully embraced by both teams. 

However, fans had a very unexpected reaction as both teams were showered with boos during their “Moment of Unity”. In a disgusting display so loud and so massive that it could be heard on camera as football fans around the world watched in amazement. 

https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1304228576506662913?s=21

Why were they booing ? 

Is Racism and Police Brutality so American that when you protest it people think you are actually protesting America ? 

To add insult to injury, Kansas City Chief fans also took part in the “Arrowhead Chop” which the team announced in late August they were “engaged in a thorough review process of and exploring all options for a modified engagement from the Drum Deck” 

The team also banned fans from wearing headdresses, face paint, or any outfits that are 

“Styled in a way that references or appropriates American Indian Cultures”

https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/08/20/chiefs-ban-headdresses-face-paint-reviewing-arrowhead-chop

The team also announced that they were in conversations with the American Indian Community Working Group. 

It’s probably no coincidence that this all came about a month after the Washington Football was forced to acquiesce to the demands of Fed Ex to change the name of the team. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/02/fedex-redskins-name-change/

But whatever the reason, the Kansas City Chiefs we’re making a concerted effort to avoid their tone deaf past and listen to a group of people who are telling them that the practices and customs they had adopted as an organization are in deed offensive to the history and culture of the Indigenous people of this country. 

However, all of the fans are obviously not on board with this transition as displayed by their exhibition last night. 

Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas took to Twitter to defend his city by saying, 

“We’re a good city of good people. I heard boos too. But we also have hundreds of thousands more around here who respect the message the players are sharing; who respect the rights of our players and people to voice a strong message and who are working to make us better each day."

https://twitter.com/quintonlucaskc/status/1304256871767904256?s=21

Let’s hope his assessment of the overall fans and people of Kansas City is accurate and not just wishful thinking, because the message the fans sent last night was crystal clear. 

The world was waiting for a Lakers-Clippers showdown

No offense to Denver, Jokic is an absolute joy to watch. He is the best passing big men I have ever seen play the game of basketball. His awareness of his teammates on the court at all times is something coaches will start teaching their big men from this point on. But this is not the series I wanted to watch. 

Jamal Murray has been phenomenal this entire bubble season. Game after game he proves himself to be virtually unguardable. The game when he dropped 50 against the Utah Jazz to force a game 7 was amazing. 

https://youtu.be/GtCGeLb4DvQ

His one dribble step back three was reminiscent of the way James Harden scores at will with his step back. The way he used the pick and roll, the way him and Jokic played off each other throughout the entire playoffs up until this point has demanded the overall respect of the league, but this is not the series I wanted to watch. 

The emergence of Jerami Grant (who i used to call little Harvey) because I literally watched him grow up when his father Harvey Grant would bring him and his brothers to Bowie Gym to work out. I would see them in church (First Baptist Church of Glenarden). He would bring them up to the Wizards games or practices. I remember watching him at my alma mater Syracuse University and talking to him while he was there. I actually interviewed him on my show the beginning of the bubble season mainly because I saw how he directed each of the NBA media qsts to focusing on Breonna Taylor during their first bubble media day.

https://youtu.be/MdKBh8czLdw

 I’m so proud of the man he has become and how he went from people questioning if he should leave Syracuse early to playing in the western conference finals. But this is not the series I wanted to watch. 

This entire season, I wanted to watch a Clippers Lakers showdown. I wanted to see Lebron Vs Kawhi. Battle for LA. Battle for the NBA. 

Watching the Lakers dominate game  one was frustrating to watch. All I kept saying was “This is not the game I wanted to see”. Which my daughter Baby Sierra replied “Then why are you watching it ? We can put on my show” (She’s always looking for a reason to put back on her show) but honestly, I understand her point because I complained the entire game. 

This was supposed to be the gleaming Lakers against the snarling Clippers. The 16 banners hanging in the rafters against the team looking to take over LA. It was going to be a drama filled, smack talking, players being separated, heated rivalry that was sure to be epic .

The prevailing notion was that this in essence would be the NBA finals as the winner of this series would be heavily favored to win it all. And that’s no disrespect to anyone in the East, that was just the overall thought. 

Even Magic Johnson tweeted out last Thursday night 

“I’m so excited that I’m going to see the Lakers vs. Clippers for the Western Conference Finals!!! The battle of the best in LA!”

https://twitter.com/magicjohnson/status/1304236563665022977?s=21

This is the series everyone was looking forward to seeing. And although I enjoyed watching Dwight Howard dominate the game and bring Big Men back into importance after the small ball Houston series rendered big men as obsolete, this still was not the series I wanted to see. 

At halftime last night, I sent a text to one of my best friends from high school Zee Chilton who is honestly the biggest Lakers fan I know and told him as well that I was really looking fwd to seeing  the Clippers Vs the Lakers. Which he replied, 

“I did too, but I feel better that we didn’t have to play them” 

And that in a nutshell is the reason for my complaints. The Clippers had a legitimate chance to beat the Lakers. In fact, from top to bottom, the Clippers looked like they were poised to take over LA, and everyone knew it. The Lakers were going to need to play a level of creative, swarming defense in order to stifle the Clippers one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the NBA. And quite frankly, many doubted if they could rise to that occasion especially on the defensive end of the floor. 

 In fact, die hard Lakers fans like my friend Zee were nervous to play the Clippers. Even if they don’t want to admit it. Snoop, Magic, all of them were nervous because they saw what the rest of the world saw, that the Clippers  weren’t afraid of the Lakers one bit. Sure they had a lot to say after the Clippers lost, but make no mistake, they were nervous too. 

Now the Clippers will have a long time to endure all of the criticism they have earned, especially since they talked so much noise all season. There will be people who question if Kawhi Leonard should’ve left Toronto; people like Stephen A Smith will take public shots at Paul George; there will be media questioning if Doc Rivers should be the coach; they’ll bring up Lou Williams chicken wings situation to point out that they weren’t focused; they’ll point to arguments between players Montrez Harrel and Paul George as possible dissension in the locker room; and of course they will point to one of the biggest trash talkers in the game Patrick Beverly who had a verbal sparring match (along with Paul George) with Damian Lilard having to eat his words. 

They will have a lot to prove next year because they didn’t reach the expectations of the entire basketball world and I’m sure the expectations they had for themselves. This should create an even bigger fire in them. This season it didn’t happen but make no mistake, this rivalry definitely isn’t over, if anything, it’s just getting started. 

L.A. sheriff Wants LeBron James to match reward money for gunman who shot two cops in Compton ?

Sheriff Alex Villanueva is challenging LeBron James to contribute to efforts to find the gunman who shot two Los Angeles County deputies who were critically injured. The two police officers are out of surgery as of Sunday afternoon according to CNN 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/12/us/los-angeles-county-officers-shot-compton/index.html

Villanueva made the challenge during an interview on a local radio show Monday.

According to reports. There are two private pledges totaling 75k in addition to 100k from the county, so the sheriff is publicly calling on Lebron to match that or go above and beyond it. 

“I want to make a challenge…to LeBron James,” he said. “I want you to match that and double that reward because I know you care about law enforcement.“

“You expressed a very interesting statement on race relations and officer-involved shootings and the impact that it has on the African-American community and I appreciate that, but likewise, we need to appreciate that respect for life goes across professions, races, creeds, and I’d like to see LeBron James step up to the plate and double that.”

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/09/14/lebron-james-la-county-deputies-shot-sheriff-villanueva/?fbclid=IwAR39UJCyEH07Wy4_6SVap3i1_dHLi1Ps0I5N7LodPLvImjZatzo4oLdlFhA

So by this logic, in the off season when the Lakers look to sign free agents should Lebron demand that the sheriff match the offer the Lakers give to Anthony Davis or Javale McGee or Dwight Howard or Rajon Rondo or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Avery Bradley 

because somewhere or at some time the sheriff weighed in on the Lakers team ? Why would that be his responsibility ? 

Furthermore, this is the same Sheriff’s department that the Los Angeles Times filed a lawsuit against after alleging that the dept purposely and repeatedly refused to turn over public records including but not limited to documentation showing their deputies involvement in misconduct or shootings ? 

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6962116-L-A-Times-sues-L-A-County-for-police-misconduct.html

And isn’t this same Sheriff who took absolutely no responsibility for the 325 deputies that the Times identified by name ? This same guy wants Lebron James to “step up to the plate” although he hasn’t done that himself ? 

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-06-30/la-times-lawsuit-deputy-misconduct-records

This is the same county with 606 lawsuits that were filed against the LA police, with 539 against the LA County Sheriff’s Office. And the same county that spent $81 million dollars of the tax payers money on settling or litigating these lawsuits ? 

https://abc7.com/police-misconduct-lawsuit-department/6247311/

The Sheriff of that county wants Lebron to be the beacon of light to fight against injustice ? 

I tried to see if I could find any instance where the Sheriff publicly condemned the killing of a Black Man or Black Woman by police in his department and I couldn’t find anything. I saw him offer condolences to George Floyd’s family, but I couldn’t find him ever going as far as to condemn the actual killing by his or any police officers. 

So is it hypocritical for this Sheriff to ask Lebron James to do something that he himself doesn’t do ? (To my knowledge) 

It doesn’t appear as though Sherriff Villanueva is in the moral position to ask anybody to do anything. 

Interestingly enough, 

Yesterday, I woke up to multiple messages (from people who happen to be white) demanding that I publicly denounce the very same shooting of the two police officers in Compton. One of the messages read very similarly to the comments made by Sheriff Villanueva in saying 

“Mr Thomas, I have listened to you use your celebrity status to vilify police officers who have to make split second life and death decisions and sometimes get it wrong. I watched you on Meet The Press with Sue Bird speaking on issues outside of your area of expertise, fan the racial liberal flames, attack our President be divisive and cast all police like they want to go around killing innocent black people. I demand for you to be just as vigilant in publicly denouncing the thug who snuck up to a sitting police car in broad daylight and attempted to murder them.”

First of all, I didn’t do any of that and you can see the video of when I was on Meet The Press below 

https://youtu.be/IPGbpLYaEmo

But for the record, yes it’s terrible to see anyone shot on video. I felt horrified just as I would no matter who I was looking at being shot. 

But it’s interesting that just as in the comment I received, when I’m discussing the need for police reform or police accountability I’m “speaking on issues outside of my area of expertise” but I am perfectly qualified to speak on the area you want me to speak on ? That’s how it works ? 

In addition, how many times have we heard police officers publicly denounce any murder of a Black Man or Black Woman by police ? They usually have their blue wall of silence regardless of the situation. And besides, we don’t even know all of the facts of the Compton case yet. Were these good cops or bad cops ? Were they dirty or clean ? We have to look at their history and background first and we shouldn’t rush to judgement right ? It’s just interesting that the expectation is for one side to act with compassion and outrage when it’s not reciprocated in any way shape or form

Coincidentally, Eric Garner should have turned 50 years old today and the disgusting images I have in my mind are

1. Of Officer Daniel Panteleo choking Eric Garner to death while he says repeatedly “I Can’t Breathe” while others officers watch the execution 

2. Shortly after the image of NYPD supporters wearing I Can Breathe shirts 

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/20/i-can-breathe-thanks-to-the-nypd-shirts-flood-pro-/

And I can’t find any record of Sheriff Villanueva or hardly any police officers for that matter condemning the murder or the mockery, but they want Lebron James to now speak out when police are shot ? 

I’m sure the entire “shut up and dribble” crowd will echo and support Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s call for Lebron to “step up to the plate” and use this situation to criticize Lebron for using his platform to bring attention to a very real issue that is police brutality and the need for police reform and police accountability. 

I’m sure others will do as disgraced former Sirius XM radio host Tony Bruno did and accuse NBA players as not being able to read in an attempt to further discredit them 

https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-tony-bruno-lebron-james-players-cant-read-illiterate-fired-etan-thomas

Unfortunately, like Candace Owens have  already stooped to their consistent level and gone as far to actually blame Lebron for the shooting. 

https://www.newsbreak.com/california/los-angeles/news/2060272350229/candace-owens-blames-pea-brained-lebron-james-and-blm-for-the-saturday-night-ambush-of-two-los-angeles-sheriffs-for-stirring-up-anti-police-sentiment

And I’m sure there will be many more outlandish statements to follow. If I were a betting man I would put definitely let all the chips I had on it. 

However, It’s not the job of Lebron James or Professional athletes to solve the policing problem we have in this country. That responsibility falls more in the lap of a sheriff. Or say a President or the United States. So yes respect for life should as Sheriff Villanueva said 

“Go across races, professions and creeds.” 

And I for one am looking forward to seeing Sheriff Villanueva and all police officers and departments across the country “step up to the plate” and value Black Lives the same way they value the lives of police officers. Not in word (which we don’t even have now) but also in deed 

All Young Point Guards Should Study Chris Paul

I coach my son’s AAU team, the FBCG Elite Dynamic Disciples, and I give each of my players an NBA athlete to analyze and model their game after. Last season, my point guard was Nyrik Lee Jr. of Arundel Christian School in Hanover, MD. When it came time to assign players, I had Nyrik study and emulate Chris Paul.

Now, he didn’t want to be Chris Paul at the beginning of the season. He wanted to be a shoot-first point guard. He would open the game by jacking up three-pointer after three-pointer, sometimes shooting from five steps beyond the three-point line. There were times when he’d take four or five shots in six possessions, so he’d find himself on the bench. Nyrik is full of talent, but he wasn’t buying into our system or doing what the coaches wanted.

Then, toward the end of the season, it finally clicked for him. I reminded Nyrik that I wanted him to play like CP3, telling him, “If you get your teammates involved first, it will open everything up for you."

Finally, during a scrimmage against our older AAU team, he did it. He was setting up players for open threes, driving and kicking the ball out, running pick-and-pops and pick-and-rolls, and getting easy baskets for his teammates on fastbreaks. He was facilitating and looking like a mini Chris Paul! Then, they started expecting him to pass and he cooked all of their guards one by one. He’d fake a pass and then get a wide-open shot for himself. They expected him to drive and kick, but he’d drive and finish at the rim. He was on fire - so much so that the opposing team’s point guard got mad and challenged Nyrik, but he stood up for himself and didn’t back down. 

After the scrimmage, I told him that if he plays like that, he will play as much as he wants. And that was the turning point for him. After that night, he was a completely different player and his entire season shifted.

Suddenly, he was consistently recording double-digit assists. He would get all of his teammates involved first and then he’d eventually find himself wide open since teams were expecting him to dish and playing him for the pass, just like in the scrimmage.

He won the MVP award at a Big Shots tournament; they took his picture and highlighted him after a game in which he had 21 points, 10 assists and 2 rebounds.

Once he bought in and listened to his coaches, he never looked back. He went from struggling to get playing time to finishing the season as our starter, and he shined.

After the Oklahoma City Thunder forced a Game 7 with their win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, I texted Nyrik and all of my point guards to ask them if they saw the game. I wanted to make sure they saw how Chris Paul spent the first three quarters mostly distributing and then took over in the fourth quarter, ending the game with an amazing 28 points and zero turnovers. 

Even though the Thunder ultimately lost Game 7, Paul was still impressive (finishing with 19 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds). His terrific leadership was on display, as he was directing everyone the entire game and running the team. He recognized that Luguentz Dort had the hot hand in the first half and, for some reason, the Rockets’ defensive scheme was slow to rotate to him, so CP3 kept going to him. You could even see him getting on Dort for passing up a shot at one point while they were walking to the huddle. That’s a leader. 

All players can learn a lot from Chris Paul. At the beginning of the season, nobody expected the Thunder to make the playoffs, yet they managed to take the Rockets to seven games and nearly pulled off the upset. That’s a great accomplishment in and of itself. Prior to the season, many people were counting Paul out too. After the Rockets traded him to the Thunder, some people wondered if this was the end of the road for the 35-year-old. But he had other plans. 

When discussing the top-10 point guards of all-time, Paul belongs in that conversation. His exceptional passing, ability to lead a team and overall approach to the game separate him from other floor generals. 

Statistically, he’s right up there with the all-time greats too. Paul has the seventh-most assists (9,346) and seventh-most steals (2,233) in NBA history. His career assist percentage (45.6%) is second-highest of all-time. Among all players in league history, Paul ranks No. 1 in career Offensive Rating (122.5), No. 3 in career Box Plus/Minus (+7.6), No. 7 in career Value Over Replacement Player (86.0) and No. 9 in career Player Efficiency Rating (25.1). 

The other lesson to take away from Paul and this Rockets-Thunder series is that you can never win a war with the refs. 

This is something that I preach to my players: No matter how terrible the refs are - and, believe me, we have seen our share of terrible refs - always be respectful. After a bad call, there’s no need to throw your hands up in the air or argue. They have already made up their mind and even if you’re right, it’s not like they’re going to change the call. It simply isn’t going to happen, so you might as well save your breath and energy. I also tell them that refs are some of the most sensitive people on Earth and when they feel that a player is trying to embarrass them, they don’t handle that well at all. And once you get a reputation for complaining or being disrespectful, you put a target on your back for other refs.

I once saw Rasheed Wallace get a tech for rolling his eyes during a game. That’s literally all he did, but it was called because he had reputation for going after refs. On the court, I asked Sheed, “Why do you always get into it with the refs?” He told me that he does it because nobody holds them accountable and they mess up many of the calls. (Of course, I’m paraphrasing and that’s the PG version). 

We know there’s bad blood between Paul and referee Scott Foster. As I pointed out to Nyrik, those negative interactions may come back to haunt Paul and it may have cost them the series. 

Paul has lost each of his last 10 playoff games when Foster has been officiating. Back when Paul was with the Rockets, he publicly criticized Foster after a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, Paul said that he met with the NBA to discuss his issues with Foster (although nothing happened).

In 2018, Paul was called for a technical by Foster in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers, which led to this rant from CP3: "Yeah, Scott Foster at his finest. You know what I mean? He just never fails. Some of them, you can [communicate] with. You've just gotta figure out who you can and you can't. I got a tech tonight. I'm over there with [referee Courtney Kirkland] saying, 'That's Scott, that's Scott,' and I got a tech. That's history there. He the man. That's who they pay to see."

After the Game 7 loss last night, Paul had more criticism. When asked about the officiating - and specifically the delay-of-game call - he called out Foster (and said he knows that he’ll get fined).

“Scott Foster walked over to me and told me, ‘Chris, you ain’t gotta do that. I got them sweeping up the floor,’” Paul said, according to Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks. “‘OK, cool.’ So, I start tying my shoe back up and he still calls delay of game. That sh— don’t make no sense. He just… I don’t know. We could’ve won the game, but that situation… The league knows. Yeah. They gonna fine me. I said his name, we already know the history.”

After the technical was called, James Harden knocked down the free throw to give the Rockets a 54-52 lead with 2:29 left in the first half.

I asked Nyrik what, specifically, Chris Paul did wrong in this situation with the refs. He said, “The next time [Foster] refs his game, he’s going to remember everything that Chris Paul said about him because some referees are petty like that.” 

Sure enough, it sounds like Nyrik was absolutely right.

“Thunder guard Chris Paul says referee Scott Foster made a point to tell him before the Game 7 loss to the [Rockets] tonight that he also reffed his Game 7 loss to the Spurs in 2008 when CP was with the Hornets,” tweeted Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. 

Young players can learn a ton from Paul; in this instance, they can learn from his mistakes.

But, overall, Paul had an incredible season and he’s had a Hall-of-Fame career. There’s a reason why I want my starting point guard to play like him. All point guards should study Paul. 

Paul should teach a Point Guard 101 class that covers his basketball IQ, cerebral approach, overall knowledge of the game, relentless tenacity, will to win and incredible leadership. (And maybe they can bring in a substitute for the lesson on how to deal with officials).

Etan Thomas details his Special RelatioNship With John ThomPson

I had a special relationship with Coach Thompson that all started from me not being recruited by him. 

Anybody I grew up with will remember that I always wanted to go to Georgetown (Syracuse was actually my 2nd choice) I remember my high school teammate Ryan Humphrey saying that I was like the kid in the movie Rudy who always wanted to go to Notre Dame. That actually wasn’t an inaccurate analogy. 

See, I grew up admiring Coach John Thompson from the first time I heard him speak out about the racism of the NCAA.

I remember seeing him asked how it felt to be the first Black coach to reach the NCAA final four, he replied live on air something to the effect of and i’m paraphrasing. 

“I resent the hell out of that question. The implication is that I was the first Black coach capable of coaching a team to the final four. And that’s just stupid and insulting to a lot of Black coaches who didn’t get the opportunity could have and should have been here before me” 

(Something to that effect) 

I remember reading about how he specifically recruited inner city Black players, and molded them both on and off the court. Focused on their education, enforced discipline and structure, taught them and educated them about society and being a Black Man in America, was a father figure in that he actually cared about his players far beyond wins and losses (although he definitely wanted to win), and made sure he stressed that his players graduate and not squander their time allowing the system to use them. Of course that was the coach and program I wanted to be a part of. 

Add to that, he coached one of my favorite players Alonzo Mourning, someone who I wanted to pattern my game after, and I grew up a die hard Knicks fan and he coached Patrick Ewing. I wanted to be able to block shots like Mutumbo and have defenses literally draw plans to avoid bringing the ball inside. I actually wanted to carry on the tradition and wear number 33 at Georgetown (one of the reasons I wore 33 at Syracuse, but I’ll explain that later) I even went to Georgetown basketball camp when I was in the 8th grade. I remember reading about the next center who was going there Othella Harrington and seeing a picture of John Thompson with his arm around Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutumbo, and Othella Harrington and dreamed of seeing myself in that same picture in that same pose with the great centers of Georgetown and myself at the end of the line. 

Fast fwd to the summer of my junior year and I’m being recruited by everyone in the country but Georgetown and he called me and told me that they had a lot of big men and named off 5 big men Jamel Watkins, Boubacar Aw, Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, they had a young Jahidi White and Ya Ya Dia, so they really didn’t need anymore big men. I was heart broken to be honest. May have even shed a few thug tears but I vowed to terrorize Georgetown for my entire college career and picked their biggest rival Syracuse University. 

My freshman year, Feb. 8, 1997

Syracuse fans know it as the Donovan McNabb game, where star football quarterback and two sport athlete Donovan McNabb ignited the Carrier Done with an electrifying performance and we won the game. Meanwhile, me (a young freshman who who didn’t receive much playing time after the beginning of the season and was playing behind and learning from the great Otis Hill) had one of the worst games of my career. I set a Syracuse record for the quickest foul out by a player in Syracuse history and maybe even Big East history. 

https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2013/02/syracuses_1997_win_over_george.html

After not playing for a long stretch of games, I was put into one of the biggest games of the season after Otis Hill got in foul trouble. I found myself in the unfortunate position of having to guard an explosive, quick off his feet, 300 pound monster named Jahidi White who could have been called the Shaq of the Big East. 

Well, as soon as I checked in the game, Coach John Thompson ran every single play for Jahidi and apparently told him to dunk on me every play. Well I had too much pride for that so I fouled him every time he tried to dunk on me. I tried to block the first two or three attempts and almost got my arm ripped off in Jahidi’s Shaq like power moves to the rim. So the next two times, I just fouled him. And fouled out of the game in front of 30,000 people in the Carrier Dome in one of the biggest games of the year, and I remember looking at Coach Thomson as I was walking to the bench and him giving me a little nod that said to me, that’s why I didn’t recruit you. I was destroyed inside. I wanted to hear straight to the locker room and hide in the closet until everyone left. 

After the game a ball boy gave me a note from Coach Thompson that simply read keep working, keep your head up, you’ll be fine. 

The next year, my sophomore year was really my breakout year and one of the games I had circled on my schedule was the Georgetown game. I had an monster game. 23 pts 7rbs 6blocks thunderous dramatic dunks, beating my chest, swatting shots into the stands, screaming into the crowd, I was so hyped I couldn’t even calm down on the free throw line to shoot my free throws. 

After the end of the game buzzer went off, I ran first right up to Coach John Thompson, shook his hand, looked him in the eyes and said, “You could’ve had me” and he replied with a big smile “Yea, I Know”. 

https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2013/01/in_1997-98_season_syracuse_get.html

That was the start of our relationship of mutual respect and support that spanned for two decades. 

I came to DC in 2000 with the Washington Wizards and John Thompson would have me on his show, he would support my events around DC, he would offer me advice or encouragement or chastisement, or praise by either calling me or sending me a text. 

I remember after I spoke at a big anti war rally in DC shortly after the invasion of Iraq 

http://politicalaffairs.net/the-speech-everyone-is-talking-about-etan-thomas-electrifies-anti-war-washington/

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2007/09/etans_antiwar_speech.html

Coach Thompson callee me and I remember he said 

“You have no idea what you just stepped into young man do you ?” 

And true I honestly didn’t. I had been speaking all over DC about the war. I had 3 different poems and two different speeches against the war all from my first poetry book More Than An Athlete 

https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/561-more-than-an-athlete

And I remember him saying, 

“You are lucky you play for Abe Polin because if you didn’t, this could be very bad for your professional career “ 

He also told me that he had the utmost respect for me and if I needed some support when I feel the wrath of America after this speech, he’s here for me. 

I would have events for many years to come around DC and look into the crowd and see Coach Thompson right there in the front row with his arms folded. 

I remember at a debate I had at Georgetown University with Bill Rhoden on his book 40 Million Dollar Slave, Coach Thomson brought his entire team there and had them all taking notes. including a young Roy Hibbert, Jeff Green and Patrick Ewing Jr. 

I interviewed him for my Fatherhood Book where he wrote 

“In my life l, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet presidents, senators, congressmen, CEO’s of major companies, cardinals of churches, heads of states from several countries and some of the finest athletes and coaches this world has ever known. I’ve learned to respect them all and admired their accomplishments, but I’ve never met a man who accomplished so much with so little as my dad. And I have come to realize that nothing has more meaning to me than the honor of being named after the finest man I have ever met, my Dad, John Robert Thompson.” 

I had never even heard him tell that story before and was honored by the fact that he felt comfortable telling me this for my book. 

This past winter I was watching a high school tournament at Wise high school and doing some recruiting for my AAU team FBCG Elite Dynamic Disciples, and he saw me before I saw him. He had someone chase me down and bring me to him and he said you better come over here and say hi to me. He was in obvious pain, with his walker and I asked him how he was feeling. He smiled and said just old but you keep doing what you’re doing. I said yea looking at some players for my team, and he responded that’s great but that’s not what I’m talking about. You keep using your platform and speaking and writing truth. I may not get around like I used to but I’m always watching you and proud of you. Now move out my way, I gotta get out of here. And he left before I could even get a picture with him and my son Malcolm who was with me (and who was slow coming coming up and missed the entire exchange) After, Malcolm asked me who the man in the walker was, and I told him, one of the best coaches to ever walk the planet. 

Rest In Peace Coach John Thompson 

Many PeopLe owe carmelo Anthony An Apology

Carmelo Anthony, a future Hall Of Famer who currently ranks 18th on the NBA’s all-time scorers list, was out of the league for a full year. It seemed as though the entire basketball world was convinced that he could no longer contribute to an NBA roster. Some wondered if Anthony had played in his final NBA game, bringing an end to an outstanding career.

Then, opportunity presented itself. A series of injuries plagued the Portland Trail Blazers and ‘Melo got his chance to prove all of the naysayers wrong. He could silence the multitudes campaigning for him to retire, the commentators who suggested he was done and should bow out gracefully. He was given a chance at redemption and he has taken full advantage of it.

This season, Anthony has continually knocked down game-clinching shots in the final minutes of one-possession, must-win games. He's shooting 42.6 percent from three-point range in the bubble (including the postseason). He’s been a vital piece of the puzzle for the Blazers, averaging 15.1 points per game in Orlando. Anthony has received high praise from everyone in the Portland organization, including Damian Lilard.

“He should have been here three years ago,” Lillard said after the Blazers’ play-in victoryover the Memphis Grizzlies. “I feel like we could have been in the Finals last year if we had him.”

In Game 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony exploded for 13 points in the third quarter, showing an array of offensive moves (including post-ups against LeBron James, short jumpers, three-pointers, fast-break dunks and pick-and-pops). He finished the night with 20 points, six rebounds and four steals. Even his defense received praise, as ABC and ESPN announcer Mark Jackson stated live on air, “People who killed Carmelo Anthony for his defense were wrong.”

“Carmelo not having a job never made any sense to me," former head coach Stan Van Gundy told me on my show The Rematch. "People are dying for scoring in this league and he is one of the best scorers in our game, and he couldn’t get a job? And he couldn’t at least be that bench scorer that all the contending teams need?”

So, how did everyone get it so wrong about Carmelo? What exactly happened? 

Were people too quick to accept a series of misconceptions about his attitude and willingness to take on a lesser role? Were Anthony’s failed stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets misinterpreted? Were teams scared off because his former coaches slandered him? Was there too much of a reliance on analytics? 

The answer may very well be all of the above. 

Let’s start with the widely accepted notion that ‘Melo was stuck in the netherworld of a once-dominant superstar – past his prime, unable (or unwilling) to adjust his role for the good of the team and against the unfamiliar idea of coming off the bench. Although this was the prevailing narrative, his public statements and actions didn’t support this theory. Remember, he came off the bench during his time with the Rockets. 

While ‘Melo did voice his disapproval about being a sixth man with the Oklahoma City Thunder and stated that he was still capable of being a starter, he accepted the role that was given to him. I don’t know a player who ever existed that didn’t believe he was capable of a bigger role than the one given to them by their coach. What did the media expect Carmelo to say? “Yeah, I’m washed up. I simply don’t have it anymore. I’m not the player that I once was.”

When discussing his season in OKC, Anthony told ESPN: “I was willing to accept that challenge in that role (coming off the bench), but I think I bring a little bit more to the game as far as being more knowledgeable and what I still can do as a basketball player.”

Nowhere in there did ‘Melo express that he wasn’t willing to accept a reserve role if that’s what was given to him. But of course he is going to feel that he still can contribute as a starter. He’s Carmelo Anthony! A future Hall of Famer. A top-15 scorer in NBA history.

This brings us to the disastrous Houston stint that resulted in the Rockets waiving Anthony after 10 games. Make no mistake, the Rockets were struggling as a team. But, for some reason, the majority of the blame was directed at Anthony – someone who was coming off of the bench and playing a reduced amount of minutes.

This really shouldn’t have been surprising after what happened in New York, when head coach Mike D’Antoni blamed the Knicks’ struggles on Carmelo. In fact, many people around the Knicks organization have confirmed that D’Antoni was the one who gave the ultimatum: “Either ‘Melo goes or I go.” The Knicks chose ‘Melo. Now, did Anthony happily accept D’Antoni’s plan to move him to power forward? No. But it was D’Antoni who quit on the team, not Anthony. (How D’Antoni got another job after that, I will never know, but I digress).

Another damaging factor for Anthony was George Karl’s tell-all book, which supported the notion that Carmelo was a selfish teammate and introduced a new caveat as he questioned his overall character. 

“Carmelo was a true conundrum for me in the six years I had him," Karl wrote in his book. "He was the best offensive player I ever coached. He was also a user of people, addicted to the spotlight and very unhappy when he had to share it.

“He really lit my fuse with his low demand of himself on defense. He had no commitment to the hard, dirty work of stopping the other guy. My ideal — probably every coach’s ideal — is when your best player is also your leader. But since Carmelo only played hard on one side of the ball, he made it plain he couldn’t lead the Nuggets, even though he said he wanted to. Coaching him meant working around his defense and compensating for his attitude.”

Karl basically described Anthony as lazy and a bad teammate, which are some of the worst accusations that you can make against an NBA player. And once those accusations are floated around the league, especially from a head coach, they begin to spread like wildfire. There’s no question that this was damaging to Carmelo’s overall reputation. 

Why would Karl stoop to such a low level, criticizing his former player just to sell a book? Very good question.

It’s also important to note that Karl has had major issues with just about every star player he has coached, including Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith, the late Robert "Tractor" Traylor, Todd Day, DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Iguodala and Ray Allen (just to name a few). Whoever heard of a coach actually having issues with Ray Allen? It seems as though once Karl’s coaching days ended, he resorted to slandering his former players for profit. Unfortunately, this character assassination further contributed to Anthony’s tarnished reputation among NBA circles.

Anthony’s reputation took yet another hit after the overall condemnation from the Zen Master himself, Phil Jackson, who won 11 rings as an NBA head coach and led two of the greatest dynasties the sport has ever seen. Jackson repeatedly showered Anthony with criticism after he took the reins in the Knicks’ front office. Jackson, one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, lambasted Melo in private and in public.

Jackson told the press, “We’ve not been able to win with him on the court at this time. I think the direction with our team is that he is a player that would be better off somewhere else and using his talents somewhere where he can win or chase that championship."

The reality was, Jackson simply wanted to blow up the Knicks and create his own roster, so he could say that he rebuilt the entire organization himself. He wanted to unload Carmelo’s contract and started leaking things to the media, while ‘Melo stayed above it all and remained professional. For a long time, Jackson’s apparent strategy was to antagonize ‘Melo into lashing out through the media and losing his cool, which would then cast ‘Melo as a “problem” - thus justifying his desire to trade him. But ‘Melo never took the bait. While Jackson’s stint in New York resulted in nothing but more frustration for an already disgusted Knicks fan base, the situation was also damaging to ‘Melo’s reputation. 

But with all of this behind him, the entire basketball world is now praising and appreciating ‘Melo. Here’s what fellow Syracuse royalty Lawrence Moten and John Wallace had to say about Carmelo’s comeback story:

“I always had faith in him, it was just about him getting on the right team,” Moten told me. “The other teams tried to change his game instead of letting him do what he does best. Portland is allowing ‘Melo to be ‘Melo, and that’s why it’s working.”

“So happy for our ‘Cuse brother,” Wallace added. “He’s always been clutch, just look at his career. He always wants the big shot, and he has the best shooting percentage in NBA history with at least 10 made FGs [in clutch time]. [It’s] good to see him block out the haters and focus on himself. Now, he’s better because of it.”

Sure, Moten and Wallace possess a bit of Syracuse bias, but everyone knows what ‘Melo has been through, which makes his success even sweeter. This is his redemption story, and it’s been a joy to watch him knock down big shot after big shot for the eighth-seeded Blazers. 

As Chiney Ogwumike tweeted after Anthony’s game-sealing shot in the play-in game versus Memphis: “We can learn a LOT from Carmelo Anthony… Stay ready. Keep grinding. Know your value. Find your tribe. Understand your role. Never give up.”

Where was this support when kyrie irving suggested boycott

After NBA players decided collectively to use their voices and their platforms to take a unified stand against police brutality following the horrific shooting by the Kenosha Wisconsin police that was caught on video who shot Jacob Blake 7 times in the back in front of his 3 sons, praise came from across the nation. President Obama, Democratic Nominee Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, rappers, actors, movie stars, politicians, everyone was so proud of the good move the NBA players. This collective show of strength and solidarity is what many have been waiting for. Then came the congratulations from Stephen A Smith 

https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1298731743395147789?s=21

The problem with your congratulations in particular is that just two months ago, you called Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley “foolish” for even suggesting that players should use their collective voices and take a stand against police brutality and boycott going into the bubble. You went on one of your over dramatic rants and ridiculed them on First Take as if you were personally offended that they had the audacity to let something so ridiculous even come out of their mouths. Your exact words were 

“I absolutely do not agree with them. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that their position has been foolish as I am concerned. I respect the fact — and I want to make sure that I’m clear about this — I am not talking about if you’re not going back to work because of the coronavirus. I totally understand that. If you choose to make that decision for the better being, for the well-being of yourself and the family members who you are near, then obviously that has a profound impact and I totally respect and understand that. But that’s not what Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard are talking about. … The fact that racial oppression or racial inequality, brutality on the part of police officers and all of that stuff exists is not an excuse not to show up to work. … If you have the LeBron James’, the Kyrie Irving’s and others playing their role in bringing attention to these issues, then you hand it off to people that know what to do with that attention and that elevated level of awareness to really provoke the kind of change that we’re talking about here. We seem to think that, excuse me, just protesting and raising holy hell is going to get done what we need to get done. That is not the answer, and certainly it’s not refusing to show up because of that issue. …  I totally disagree with Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving, and I suspect that I’m not alone, that a lot of people agree with what I’m saying” 

https://youtu.be/OcNEqq-U0Nk

Max Kellerman tried to break it down for you on First Take to show you the error of your ways but you still wouldn’t budge. How ironic is it for a white man to have to break down to a Black Man the oversell significance of what Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley were trying to do and how that related and connected to the bigger picture of Black entertainment being used in the history of this country while conditions for Black People were not improved as it specifically related to police brutality and respecting their position that they didn’t want to be a distraction and take away from the push we were seeing happen across the country after the gruesome murder of George Floyd. A white man shouldn’t have to break that down for Stephen A Smith. But after Max Kellerman made his eloquent points, you still didn’t get it. You immediately pivoted to discussing the money that they were giving up and seemingly missed his entire point and repeated that what Kyrie was doing just, in your words, “didn’t make sense”  to you although Max Kellernman just broke it all down for you. 

Then you attempted to shift the focus to Kyrie somehow undermining Chris Paul and Lebron James by formulating a separate players coalition and not going along with the players association vote to start the season ? So now, because you disagreed with his position you attempt to pit him against his NBA brothers ? 

Then you say and I quote, 

“It’s about making sure you know what you’re talking about before you open your mouth” 

Which is the most insulting response to give someone who you disagree with. It’s demeaning. Belittling. Not that they just have a different opinion than you, but that they need to be educated so that they can fully understand how ridiculous their position is. How dismissive and insulting was that ? 

https://youtu.be/KgQV0khEOnA

But it wasn’t just you. 

Charles Barkley also is guilty of publicly  ridiculing Kyrie and Dwight Howard for their stance.

Charles Barkley said on ESPN’s Get Up 

“I have no idea what Kyrie and Dwight are talking about, but it’ll be a catastrophic mistake not to play.” you also added, 

“I think it would be stupid to not play,” 

“LeBron [James] is probably the most famous athlete in the United States. He won’t be visible anywhere. So out of sight, out of mind. Also, these guys have got to realize, this money ain’t gonna come back and they’re gonna lose billions of dollars that the players can use to go into their own communities and do some great stuff.”

https://twitter.com/getupespn/status/1272558639241445377?s=21

Many more were completely dismissing their positions and using specific language to drive the point home that their positions were misguided, ridiculous, absurd, and that they should be dismissed completely. I wouldn’t say that you all were taking a position that was similar to Laura Ingrahm’s message to Lebron, but it definitely sounded like shut up and dribble’s close cousin. 

It’s important to note that before the 68 Olympics, Kareem Abdul Jabbar elected to not play. Here is a clip of an interview I personally conducted with him for my show The Rematch on FliTV where he specifically explains why he chose to not participate in the Olympics and instead opted to work and get money for school. 

See full interview by clicking on link below 

https://www.fli.tv/rematch-w-etan-thomas

Would you Stephen A Smith or Charles Barkley have criticized him for that ? 

John Carlos and Tommie Smith participated in the 68 Olympics and made a statement that resonates even today which was to raise their Black Power fist on the podium after their race. Two different ways both equally deserving of respect. 

It’s also important to note that players such as NBA athlete activist pioneers have utilized the art of boycotting as a way to push the NBA to use its collective power to adopt  policy change so there is precedence.

The 1964 all star game where NBA players threatened to boycott. A list that included 

Hall Of Famers Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Jerry Lucas, Tommy Heinsohn, Hal Greer, Sam Jones, Chet Walker, Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy, Wilt Chamberlain and Lenny Wilkens. Here’s what happened. 

“Just hours before tipoff, the players took a strike vote to determine whether they would refuse to play unless the league agreed to implement a pension plan. 

According to David Halberstam in "Breaks of the Game," the vote was 11-9 to strike, with Russell among the leaders of the pro-strike faction and Chamberlain among those who voted to play regardless. 

Fifteen minutes before tipoff, NBA commissioner Walter Kennedy agreed to the pension demands, and pro sports had its biggest union victory by far.“

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/1856287-181/1964-stars-threatened-to-boycott

These are the footsteps the players are following in. 

Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that 

The NBA has scheduled a special Board of Governors meeting on Thursday morning, sources tell ESPN.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1298778627669143558?s=21

What if the NBA players, now that they have everyone’s attention, demanded that NBA CEO’s like Marc Lasry, Wes Eden, Jamie Dinan (Buccs) 

Ted Leonsis (Wizards)  Steve Ballman (Clippers) Jeanie Buss (Lakers) and evening James Dolan (Knicks) use their influence to pressure cities to threaten to cut the funding of police departments if they didn’t adopt tangible police reform and police accountability measures? I bet you would see results immediately. If they can pressure cities to fund the build of new arenas, I’m sure they can do this. 

That would create tangible change through the power of the NBA that congress hasn’t been able to bring about. That no politician has been able to bring about. That would change the entire country. 

I respect both Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving and Avery Bradley for what they expressed then, and I respect what the NBA and WNBA players are doing now. And no they didn’t sound foolish and it wasn’t “ridiculous” or “absurd” or that they were looking for a reason not to show up to work like you disrespectfully said, and they definitely weren’t “stupid” like Charles Barkley said, they simply didn’t want to divert the attention away from everything that was going on. This is a special movement right now. An awakening. And they wanted and want the focus to remain on that and basketball was the furthest thing from their minds. Lebron James just said 

“I got half my brain locked on the playoffs, the other half on how I can help Black People. 

So,  Stephen A Smith you can see how you now praising the NBA players for boycotting can be problematic. 

You and Charles Barkley and everyone else who publicly ridiculed them owe Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley a public apology. Not a personal text or call, but be as loud and demonstrative on your national ESPN platform with your apologies as you were with your ridicules. 

And PS: 

Stephen A Smith, you also owe Kaepernick an apology for publicly lambasting him and saying that he wants to be a martyr and doesn’t want to play after the tryout hoax put on by the NFL  

https://youtu.be/_y7fzEHKI9Y

Like Elgin Baylor before them, the NBA's Black players have had enough

This week Letetra Wildman, the sister of Jacob Blake, delivered a gripping message: “I don’t want your pity, I want change”.

Apparently, the NBA received her memo.

It all started with the news on Wednesday that the Milwaukee Bucks decided to boycott their playoff game after Blake, a Black man, was shot seven times in the back by a white police officerin the team’s home state of Wisconsin. Soon, the NBA cancelled the rest of Wednesday’s playoff games and leagues such as the WNBA, MLB and MLS followed suit.

On television, former player Chris Webber delivered an emotional address as he fought back tears: “We understand it’s not going to end. But that does not mean young men that you don’t do anything. Don’t listen to these people telling you don’t do anything because it’s not going to end right away.”

Everyone has weighed in with their opinions since the Bucks announced their boycott. Many questioned whether a boycott can really change the inequality and racism at the heart of America. Or what refusing to play basketball has to do with Jacob Blake or George Floyd or Breonna Taylor or any of the other countless Black men and Black women who have been unjustly injured or killed by the police with no accountability.

I’m glad you asked. In July, I wrote an article detailing how much power NBA teams – and their billionaire CEOs – wield in the cities where they play. Money talks and it is well known that lost revenue has a way of motivating organizations to action at lightning speeds. Although teams are currently playing in a socially isolated bubble in Florida, people in their home bases will have seen players – and some CEOs – are willing to take action on racial injustice. If, in the future, a team threatened to leave a city if nothing is done on, say, police reform, civic leaders may well listen.

It has worked before. What the NBA and WNBA are doing now is monumental and they follow the tradition of athlete activists who have utilized the art of the boycott as a way to not only make a statement, but to push for real tangible change. A case in point: the great Elgin Baylor

During his first season in the NBA in 1959, the Hall of Famer’s Lakers team were scheduled to play a neutral-site game in Charleston, West Virginia, against the Cincinnati Royals. When the Lakers arrived at their hotel, the clerk looked at the team and said: “The three colored boys [Baylor and his Black teammates Boo Ellis and Ed Fleming] will have to go somewhere else: This is a nice, respectable hotel. We can’t take the colored boys.”

Baylor, Ellis and Fleming ended up staying in an all-Black hotel but he had had enough. He decided to boycott the game, telling his white teammate, and Charleston native, Rod Hundley: “Rod, I’m a human being, I’m not an animal put in a cage and let out for the show.”

Baylor’s decision was important because it hit the pockets of the rich and powerful in Charleston. The game had been sponsored by the the American Business Club of Charleston, which paid $6,500 (around $57,000 in today’s money) for the privilege. They also, damningly, knew in advance that Baylor and his Black teammates would not be allowed to stay with their white teammates and had done nothing to change things, despite the power they wielded in the city.

Suddenly, those rich, white businessman had paid to sponsor a game in which the league’s best young player would not even play. The club later sent a telegram to the NBA complaining that the incident had been “most embarrassing to us”.

Shortly after Baylor’s boycott, NBA commissioner Maurice Podoloff promised to make sure such treatment of Black players at hotels would be a thing of the past when they were representing the league.

Later, Baylor would meet with Lakers CEO Bob Short and that too led to meaningful change. “[Baylor’s] refusal to play was a matter of principle with him,” said Short, “and I’m certainly not going to fault him for that ... We will demand a non-segregation clause in future contracts.”

Baylor gave us a blueprint for how current NBA players can employ boycotts as a method to force NBA CEOs to use their power and influence to truly bring about change. Imagine those in the 50s who criticized Elgin Baylor. Who said that he was overstating his importance and his power. His courage to hurt powerful figures in a segregated city caused the NBA and the Lakers to change the way they treated their Black players. The likes of LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo can effect similar change now. All they have to do is demand it.

Jacob Blake Is Exactly Why NBA Players Are Taking A Knee

Attorney Benjamin Crump (who has be retained by the Blake family) posted this picture of Jacob Blake with his 3 sons on his instagram page and  wrote 

“This is Jacob Blake. He is 29 years old and a devoted father. Kenosha WI police shot him several times in the back tonight after he was breaking up a fight between two women. His THREE SONS were in the car he was getting into when they shot him!! His sons will be traumatized forever. As a father myself, I am horrified and disgusted. We cannot let this continue! We cannot let officers violate their duty to PROTECT us. Our children deserve better!!“

At his postgame interview, after scoring 30 pts 10 assists and 6 rebounds in 28 mins and a winning effort, Lebron James addressed the entire incident, 

“So you’re telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman or detain him before the firing of guns. You’re lying to every African-American ever Black Person in the community.... If you watch the video there were multiple moments where if they wanted to they could’ve tackled him they could’ve grabbed him, they could’ve done that so why did it have to get to a point where we see the guns firing. His family is there the kids are there, it’s in broad daylight. And if that video is not being taken by that person across the street, do we know if we even see that video ? .....We are scared as Black People in America. Black Men, Black Women, Black Kids, we are terrified.”

https://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=29735258

After tying the playoff series with the Houston Rockets and scoring 26 pts 6 rebs and 3 assists in a winning effort, during his postgame interview Chris Paul addressed the incident as well, 

“I just want to send my prayers out to Jacob Blake and his family.....we said we were going to continue to speak on the social injustice and the things that continue to happen to our people, it’s not right.” 

https://twitter.com/complexsports/status/1298030906024906753?s=21

Attorney Crump told the Journal Sentinel. “Nobody’s more devastated than his three sons....You can only imagine the psychological problems these babies are going to have for the rest of their lives,"

Somehow miraculously Jacob survived and is in stable condition according to a statement by the family, but make no mistake, the police (who are now on paid administrative leave) did not intend for him to leave there alive. Their aim was to kill him 

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2020/08/24/jacob-blake-stable-condition-after-shooting-kenosha-police-shot-7-times/3431519001/

This is the official GoFundMe created for Jacob Blake, his medical care, his family, and more. 

He is going to need so much support. 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/justiceforjacobblake?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all

"As we fight for justice and understanding, our family has and will face many trials during this time," the family wrote on the GoFundMe website. "Jacob Blake is a loving father of six that deserves proper medical attention and legal representation."

Just FYI: The reason the family and the attorney Crump are continuously stating that Jacob was a loving father of six and a good person is because of the expected demonization that routinely follows each and every time a Black Man or Black Woman is killed by the police. This happened with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Terence Crutcher, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Akai Gurley, Stephon Clarke, Andrew Kearse, and countless others, the media floods the airways with justifications of why the person who was shot by the police was somehow at fault. 

A Black Man shouldn’t have to be perfect or exceptional or a college graduate or a husband or a father in order to explain why he didn’t deserve to be shot 7 times in the back by police but I digress. 

This is exactly why NBA players have been taking a knee. Why they have been wearing messages on the backs of their jerseys. Why they have collectively let their voices be heard during this entire NBA bubble season, despite the barrage of criticism and vitriol they have received.

Donald Trump called NBA players “very nasty and very dumb” for kneeling during the National Anthem. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2020/08/11/donald-trump-nba-players-very-dumb-kneeling-during-anthem/3343737001/

Right wing conservative political pundit Charlie Kirk said, 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexreimer/2020/07/31/charlie-kirk-and-right-wing-pundits-express-fake-outrage-at-nba-players-protesting-during-anthem/

 “Hilarious to see Black NBA players who make millions a year take a knee to try and tell us black people can’t succeed in America,” he tweeted. “Kick them out of the league. Done watching the NBA.”

Former NFL player, coach, current commentator and Hall of Famer Mike Ditka said, 

https://www.timesonline.com/story/sports/nfl/2020/07/27/mike-ditka-draws-backlash-for-criticism-of-kneeling-athletes/112701218/

"If you can't respect our national anthem, get the hell out of the country,“ Ditka said during an interview with TMZ Sports. ”That's the way I feel. Of course, I'm old fashioned. So, I'm only going to say what I feel.

When Michael Vick goes to prison for more time for killing dogs than just about every police officer did for killing unarmed Black Men or Black Women in the past 3 decades, it’s should be crystal clear what the issue is. 

How is it possible for so many people to still not understand that this has nothing to do with the flag or with veterans or they simply dedicated to purposely misrepresenting and redirecting the issue   

I interviewed Joakim Noah for my show The Rematch on FliTV,

https://www.fli.tv/joakim-noah-interview

and he explained to me exactly why he chose “Justice“ to go on the back of his jersey, In his words, 

“Because everyone deserves justice. Everybody does. And the truth is that right now and for a long time, there are a lot of people who don’t {receive justice} I wanted to use that because everyone deserves human rights. All of my heroes have been fighting for justice. Some have died for justice..... and I hope that a lot of these people who have died when you think of {George} Floyd and Breonna Taylor, I really hope that they can get their justice”

And when you watch the clip, you can see Joakim almost get emotional while saying these words. It’s not just a trendy thing to do as some have suggested, this means something to him. And seeing NBA players take stances like this and verbalize to the media why this is important to them as Joakim Noah did, as LeBron did, as Kawhi Leonard did, as Jerami Grant did, as Tobias Harris, Sterling Brown, CJ McCollum, Donovan Mitchell, Marcus Smart, Kyle Kuzma and so many others did, as coaches such as Doc Rivers and Alvin Gentry did, it should be crystal clear what the issue is. 

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29519480/nba-players-use-media-availability-steer-conversation-breonna-taylor-social-justice

What the NBA and WNBA has done this season represents one of the most collective athlete activists movements since the 1960s. This has pushed entire institutions and industries to reckon with a racist history and institute programs and initiatives that weren’t previously there. 

 For example: The NBA recently announced that 

 “All 30 NBA teams will contribute a combined $300 million over the next decade to fund the NBA Foundation, a new charitable initiative dedicated to greater economic empowerment in the Black community.”

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29602899/nba-establishes-fund-support-empowerment-black-community

NBA Coaches For Racial Justice was established by Lloyd Pierce and now every coach in the NBA is working with grassroots organizations in their respective cities 

https://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-hawks/how-lloyd-pierce-is-leading-nba-coaches-in-the-fight-for-racial-justice/OSCCWK4DEZHODL6W2C3P3MIDWE/

I also interviewed Stan Van Gundy for my show The Rematch on FliTV and he broke it down for those who still seem to be confused on the meaning and importance of the players taking a knee. 

https://www.fli.tv/stan-van-gundy-interview

“If you love something, you want it to be better....As a parent, you’re going to love your kid no matter what, but you’re not going to just let them do whatever they want to do and not say anything or do anything because if you really love your kids, you want them to be the best that they can be and when they’re not doing that, you want to try to correct their course. That’s what the players are doing. They’re not saying I don’t want to live here or I hate America, they’re saying I want it to be the best that it can be.”

NBA players took a respectful stand  together. Not against police but against police brutality and they did it together as an entire league. Coaches, referees, staff, while players, foreign players, everyone taking a stand together while utilizing the media to bring further attention to specific cases of police brutality and calling for police accountability such as bringing Breonna Taylor and George Floyd’s murderers to justice. 

With the horrifying shooting of Jacob Blake and the fact that none of the police officers had body cams although Kenosha city technically requires them for all of their officers. And just as in the case with George Floyd, if it weren’t for a civilian‘s recording, the “facts” that people wait for the police to come out with, almost certainly wouldn’t have resulted in any officer being held accountable. It is more than evident that we still have a long way to go. 

The reality of BEing Black in America isn’t ChaNging fast enough

“ We are scared as Black People in America. Black Men, Black Women, Black Kids, we are terrified.” ~Lebron James

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1298119092033945600?s=21

“There are times, a lot of times, where we say we don’t feel safe. It doesn’t matter how much money, doesn’t matter who you are” ~Donovan Mitchell 

https://twitter.com/sportscenter/status/1298478064284860421?s=21

“What stands out to me is watching the Republican Convention and they’re spewing this fear.  All you hear is Donald Trump and all of them talking about fear. We’re the ones getting killed, we’re the ones getting shot.... it’s amazing to me how we keep loving this country and this country doesn’t love us back” ~Coach Doc Rivers 

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1298476250709635072?s=21

It’s hard for Mainstream America to understand why rich Black People like Lebron James, Donovan Mitchell or Coach Doc Rivers would say things like this. It’s hard for them to understand what happens to the psyche of the Black Community as a whole every time a video of Jacob Blake is circulated. The conversations that happen in our homes with our children and our families. The frustrations and fears to as Malcolm X put it “sit and the table, but not be a part of the family” But that is the situation that many Black People are in today living in America. 

Let me start with my own family. The conversations me and my wife have had to have with our children over the years are conversations that white people simply don’t have to worry about having with their children. Just this quarantined summer we’ve watched When The See Us with our kids to illustrate to them how the justice system many times fails us and people (like Donald Trump) will call for your head on a platter and view you as a monster especially if there is a racial dynamic involved. We watched The Hate You Give to show especially our daughter the power of her voice in the face of injustice. We watched the movie Malcolm X (so many lessons too many to list) had our daughter read No Disrespect by Sista Souljah, had our son read Makes Me Wanna Holler by Nathan McCall and Trevor Noah’s Born A Crime. And yes all of this is advanced for our young children, but we have to prepare them for the world they have to live in. 

I told my kids about the first time I had the police pull a gun on me. I was a little older than my son Malcolm is right now. I told them about the 2nd time and the 3rd time, and how all of that happened when I was in high school. One was mistaken identity, another I looked suspicious, another I was at a counter protest of the KKK rallying in downtown Tulsa. That’s right I said the KKK and no I didn’t grow up in the 60s, I’m not that old. I grew up in the 90s. And if it weren’t for the Grace Of God, I wouldn’t be here right now. 

Again, white parents don’t have to worry about any of this the way we do. We live in two completely different worlds. And just for the record, I played 11 years in the NBA, earned a degree in business management from Syracuse University, I am in the top tax bracket in the country, my portfolio is doing well and diversified enough to withstand a global pandemic, I can afford to send my kids to the private school of their choice, but none of that will save me or my son or my daughters when we are pulled over by the police. 

I coach my son’s AAU team the FBCG Elite Dynamic Disciples, and the lessons I teach them prepare them for life. Now don’t get me wrong, we make a lot of noise on the basketball court, but that’s not why I do it. There are lessons they are going to have to learn in life that will differ from their white counterparts. One of them is the stark difference in how they will be treated by the police compared to how white people are treated by the police. 

We have a TeamSnap and this week I messaged them a reminder of the rules when they start driving and are stopped by the police. First I sent them this tweet of a white man who is not “following the commands” of the police officer and told them that the rules for them are different. 

https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1298353894918172678?s=21

I explained to them as I have done many times that when they are stopped they have to 

1 Turn off their music 

2 Put their interior lights on (if it’s dark)

3 Roll all their windows down 

4 Take out their license and registration and put it on the dashboard so they won’t have to reach for anything 

5 Put their cell phone in the cup holder and press record 

6 Put their hands on the steering wheel preferably at 10 and 2 

7 Yes sir no sir after everything the policeman says no matter their tone or level of aggression (because unfortunately, we have to de-escalate situations that are only escalated because of the color of our skin 

Those are realities for being Black in America that Mainstream America can’t relate to because it isn’t their world. They have the privilege of not being viewed as a threat everyday of their lives from the time they are 10 years old. 

My daughter Imani is 12 years old and she asked me if the person across the street didn’t film the shooting of Jacob Blake, would anyone have even heard of this case ? A few months ago she asked me if the person didn’t film the policeman who killed George Floyd and everyone didn’t react the way they did after it was released, would those police have been fired or would they have returned the next day with business as usual. I want to be able to tell her yes, they would’ve brought them to justice, and have faith in the system, and this country will love you if you love this country, but I can’t. Then she asked me, when exactly was this country great ? What period of time is Trump referring to when he says that he wants to Make America Great Again ? Was it ever great for us ? These are the conversations that happen in Black households. 

Letetra Wildman Jacob Blake’s sister summed up being Black In America when she stated during. Recent press conference, 

“I’m not sad. I’m not sorry. I’m angry. And I’m tired. I haven’t cried one time. I stopped crying years ago. I am numb. I have been watching police murder people that look like me for years....I don’t want your pity, I want change”

https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1298364170962952194?s=21

Words aren't enough. Sports team CEOs must use their influence to effect change

Malcolm X warned us a long time ago to be leery of symbolic victories versus justice and actual progress. 

“The whole world can see it. All this little tokenism that is dangled in front of the Negro and then he's told, "See what we're doing for you”

           ~Malcolm X

Enter symbolic gestures: 

Boston Red Sox unveil a 250 foot Black Lives Matter billboard next to Fenway 

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/508636-boston-red-sox-unveil-250-foot-black-lives-matter-billboard-next-to-fenway

NHL Hockey fans will be greeted with a Black Lives Matter message every time they enter into NHL 20 

https://fansided.com/2020/06/11/nhl-20-features-black-lives-matter-pop-up-screen/

NBA unveils Black Lives Matter on court 

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29510169/nba-unveils-black-lives-matter-orlando-court

Roger Goodell makes statement saying he was wrong on player protests and encourages players to use their voices 

https://sports.yahoo.com/roger-goodell-nfl-admits-we-were-wrong-on-player-protests-black-lives-matter-224540686.html

At first I thought all this is great. All of these  professional teams and organizations and coaches and even Roger Goodell all making tweets and statements proclaiming that Black Lives Matter. Unifying decrees exhibiting the  solidarity that is sweeping across the entire sports world. Allies in high places looking into the camera and passionately proclaiming that Black Lives Matter. Every NBA franchise including NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, through a statement or public comment from a high ranking official condemning the killing of George Floyd, and again declaring that Black Lives do in fact Matter. 

https://www.nba.com/article/2020/05/31/nba-teams-respond-tragic-death-george-floyd

And not just generic statements but they went into detail. 

The Dallas Mavericks said “ "We will NOT stand for injustice, inequity, and disparity. History goes through phases. Phases in Restoring (justice), Rebuilding (communities) and Rebounding (as people)."

The Bulls said  “There is a crisis in our country, and we need to redouble our efforts and work harder than ever.” 

The Brooklyn Nets said “ Our hearts are broken by the attacks on the personal safety and dignity of the Black community.” 

The Golden State Warriors said “ We condemn, in no uncertain terms, racism and violence perpetrated against members of the Black community” 

The Miami Heat said “ we deeply mourn the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and too many others, whom we have lost to acts of extreme and excessive violence against African-Americans” 

The Washington Wizards said “ "The death of George Floyd, and many other black Americans, is unconscionable. We believe that there needs to be action and leadership to tackle and address the social injustices and inequities in systemic racism.”

Every NBA team made a similar statement. And for this I have to give a lot of the credit to Adam Silver for constantly setting the example for the entire league to follow from his first day of taking over the reins when he had to deal with the Donald Sterling situation. He has made it clear that he will stand and speak out for justice and against racism. 

As I was looking at all of these teams make statements I thought to myself, was  this a new beginning ? How beautiful is it that the entire sports world has finally reached a universal point of empathy and are collectively using their voices to take a stand. But then I started to notice that it at least appeared that police violence and brutality seemed to have actually gotten worse after George Floyd’s murder and I thought to myself, we need much more. 

Don’t get me wrong, these statements are incredibly powerful for any NBA CEO (I don’t like to call them owners for obvious reasons) and teams and organization to publicly make, but are these statements enough ? 

I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed the twitter exchange between Dallas Mavericks CEO Mark Cuban and Ted Cruz that started over Ted’s opposition to players taking a knee. I thought Mark Cuban handled him brilliantly by challenging him to say Black Lives Matter and Ted Cruz of all people conceding and actually saying Black Lives Matte,  but in this exchange, they got away from the overall point which was police accountability when they murder an unarmed Black Man or Black Woman which is the reason for the kneeling. 

In addition, it’s powerful to see NBA TV constantly run their commercial about social justice and seeing NBA CEO’s Mickey Arison (Miami Heat) and Wyc Grousbeck (Boston Celtics) proclaiming  Black Lives Matter while looking into the camera , but the question is, can these professional teams and organizations and billionaire CEO’s use their power and influence to bring about tangible change beyond their statements of support and solidarity ? Definitely 

What if NBA CEO’s took active roles in their respective cities at pressuring police departments to move toward specific police reform and police accountability ? It’s not as if they don’t have any power in their cities. If you think Mark Cuban doesn’t have any political influence and power in the city of Dallas or Mickey Arison in Miami you are greatly mistaken. They are billionaires. Not millionaires like the players who have been doing an amazing job protesting, using their influence, their power and their voices, but Billionaires (with a B) which is a whole nother level of power and influence. 

What if they took on the quick resulting method Fed Ex just displayed for the world to see ?  

Enter Washington Football Team: 

After decades of NFL CEO Dan Snyder stubbornly refusing to change the name of his franchise despite petitions and pleas and demonstrations from countless Native American tribes and the entire public at large because it was a racist and offensive slur to Native Americans, all of a sudden he had a change of heart. Why ? Not because he had an Ebeneezer Scrooge moment after he was visited by the ghost of Christmas Past and wanted to right his wrongs, it was because sponsors like Fed Ex said,

“change the name or the organization will lose them as a sponsor” 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/10/private-letter-redskins-fedex-said-it-will-remove-signage-if-name-isnt-changed/

And poof,  just like that, the name was changed because that’s what moves the needle, when you threaten to negatively effect an organization’s bottom line. Wu Tang told us a long time ago, Cash Rules Everything Around Me, and they were absolutely right. 

What if the NBA used their power and influence to pressure cities to threaten to cut the funding of police departments if they didn’t adopt tangible police reform and enforce police accountability ? I bet you would see immediate results just as you did with the Washington Football Team. 

This is something that could be done across sports NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL. An entire movement. This would be a way for them to push for real change. Donating to organizations who are fighting for change is great like many of the tech companies have done, 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/12/george-floyd-protests-tech-company-responses.html

But this would be coming directly from them. This is a way to take a more active role in instigating real tangible change in their respective cities instead of waiting for the players (who don’t have the level of influence that they have) to “speak” on these issues.

Let me be clear, nobody is against all police, but every organization needs checks and balances. Nobody in society can have carte blanche to do as they please and unfortunately, that is the incredibly dysfunctional situation we have fallen into with our police departments. No accountability. 

So while the declarations are great, and  Black Lives Matter painted on the court and the field is a bold statement, and I guess singing the Black National Anthem before NFL games is...... something ? It needs to go far beyond that in order to bring about real change. 

Tiffany Crutcher (sister of Terence Crutcher who was murdered in Tulsa Oklahoma by Officer Betty Shelby, 

told me when I interviewed her for my book We Matter “Athletes And Activism” 

“We get moved by the moment....we’re angry, we’re outraged, and then we move on to the next thing.... let’s put some pressure, not just on the local government, but we need to put pressure on Jeff Sessions, on Donald Trump, and let them know that we’re not going to stand for this.” 

Who better to apply that pressure than billionaire CEO’s of professional teams and the sports leagues themselves. They can use their influence beyond powerful proclamations and push for tangible results. Again, the statements are great, but in this day and age, we need much more 

Open Letter To Adam Silver (The Nba Restart Is Not Worth The RIsk)

Mr Silver, 

     As you know I have the utmost respect for you. I had the honor of sitting down with you for an in depth interview for my show The Rematch on FliTV 

https://www.fli.tv/rematch-w-etan-thomas

And we discussed your embrace and support of NBA players’ right to use their platforms to stand up for what they believe in which has led to the current culture in the NBA. Just recently, it was reported that you have agreed to allowing players to use their jerseys to share a social message they care deeply about. So in essence, we could see entire teams with Black Lives Matter or Police Accountability across their actual jerseys ? That’s something that no other league would ever even consider doing. Much Respect 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/06/28/nba-may-allow-players-wear-social-justice-messages-their-jerseys/

As I said in our interview, that’s what sets you apart from every other commissioner in professional sports. Not only do you tolerate activism from NBA players, but you actually encourage players realizing and understanding the power of their voices and their platforms. You have created an atmosphere in which players are no longer afraid that their speaking out could jeopardize their NBA careers which is something that was a real fear and concern under your predecessor David Stern. There were countless times during my playing days with the Washington Wizards where I was warned about my activism and told to be careful that I didn’t end up white balled from the league like Mahmoud Abdul- Rauf or Craig Hodges. Thus the reason one of the questions I asked you in our interview was if Mr. Rauf and Mr. Hodges would’ve been punished under your watch. It came as no surprise you confirmed that you would never punish anyone for using their platform to express an opinion, belief or idea. You even went into detail about how Craig Hodges’ method of a letter was as respectful you one could possibly be. Which echoed exactly what you told me in my book We Matter “Athletes And Activism” when I interviewed you for that. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1617755915/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Owi.EbF3CRCFN

You went into detail about your respect for the history of NBA activism. In your words, 

“I inherited a legacy of activism within this league. People like Bill Russell who was not only an activist in terms of things that mattered in society, but also even on behalf of players rights. 

There was a precedent and a history here at the league of using the league and our players’ voices on important issues that mattered far beyond the game of basketball” 

The NBA has become the leader of all professional sports. As evidenced by the reverberating effect your decision to immediately shut down the league after Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus back in March had on all sports. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/03/11/nba-suspends-play-player-test-coronavirus/

That set the example for other leagues to follow your leadership. (The NCAA at the time was still attempting to figure out a way to avoid having to cancel their season which is a whole nother issue for another article) 

But every other league then began shutting down, the MLB, the NHL all the way down to AAU basketball. You didn’t delay your reaction jeopardizing the lives of the multitudes (like some Presidents Of The United States who shall remain nameless) you immediately canceled the season, eliminating exposure of players, fans, arena personnel, staff and everyone else associated with the NBA during an unknown pandemic. That’s what leadership looks like and you exemplified it. 

Fast forward to today, we are currently embarking on a 2nd wave of coronavirus cases. Dr Fauci warns of a Covid-19 surge, 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/23/fauci-testimony-coronavirus-house/

spiked cases are in every red state that rushed to reopen under the encouragement of yet another example of poor leadership from the White House, including the state of Florida which has recently become one of the country’s epicenters of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/28/coronavirus-live-updates-us/?outputType=amp

In fact, Florida recently set a national single day record of 15,299 new Covid19 infections which ranks as the highest single-day increase of any U.S. state. About 1 in 5 tests came back positive. If Florida were its own country, it would rank 4th worldwide for new cases, and this is the place the NBA restart is going to happen ?

Let’s just say the bubble is in fact the safest place in Florida for an NBA player to be. What if a player does test positive and has to be rushed to a Florida hospital that has reportedmy been consistently overwhelmed with coronavirus cases to the point that they have maxed out ICU capacities which 40 different Florida hospitals have to date ?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/10/florida-coronavirus-cases-icu-beds-arizona-texas

Recently in a press conference you said and I quote, 

“We’re coming back because sports matter in a society. They bring people together when we need it the most.”

Which is true. But you also said, 

“We haven’t worked through every scenario … [but] if we were to have a significant spread of coronavirus throughout the community, that ultimately might lead us to stop it.....We’re not saying full steam ahead no matter what happens … but we feel very comfortable right now with where we are.”

https://nypost.com/2020/06/26/adam-silver-significant-coronavirus-spread-could-end-nba-restart/

With the recent spikes of Coronavirus cases particularly in Florida, and an ever growing list of NBA players who have tested positive for Covid 19 including Russell Westbrook, Nikola Jokic, DeAndre Jordan, Malcolm Bronson, Harrison Barnes, Spencer Dinwiddie, Thomas Bryant, Gary Payton Jr, Buddy Hield, Jabari Parker, Marcus Smart and many others;

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/coronavirus-russell-westbrook-nikola-jokic-harrison-barnes-among-nba-players-who-tested-positive/

The fact that NBA league officials are reportedly concerned about the long term health effects for NBA players who contract the coronavirus for the simple reason that there are unknown effects it has on lung capacity, cardiac health, kidney functions, all of which could impact a player’s career;

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN24C0VM?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR3tZF4TCVsZFA2-h5LX88N7YzgeQ2Hxv_WSD9L7ote3S6PoP6XQZ-Uguqg

The fact that Rudy Gobert reportedly still exhibits effects 3 months after testing positive for the coronavirus, which highlights the fact that we have no idea of the long term effects on a player’s career of testing positive;

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29380004/jazz-rudy-gobert-says-trouble-smelling-3-months-coronavirus-diagnosis

The fact that according to the cdc, older adults are more susceptible to catching the coronavirus, which most coaches and staff fall into the exact high risk category;

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-increased-risk.html

Along with an extensive list of additional reasons, starting the NBA season, or the season any sports is simply not worth the risk. Valuing the lives of human beings over economic motivations is a concept that is absent from Donald Trump. You are not him. You are a man of integrity, honor, respectability, and authenticity. It’s time for you to continue your tradition of courageous, responsible, leadership and cancel the entire NBA restart plan for Florida. 

       Respectfully 

                  Etan Thomas 

Drew Brees Can influence other white allies

 In the wake of George Floyd’s horrific murder there currently exists a large portion of white america who now truly and wholeheartedly have a desire to be allies and feel ashamed and embarrassed for their previously held positions. I’m speaking of the “let’s wait until all the facts come out” crowd and the “he must’ve done something to provoke this” or “If they would just follow commands” crowd. Or the Kaepernick’s taking a knee has no place on football” crowd. 

Or even the white people who supported Trump but have recently changed their position after seeing, well everything. I don’t know which crowd you belong to, maybe all of them, but I do understand that your very ill timed statement at a time where people across the country were dealing with the pain and anguish and frustration of yet another Black Man murdered at the hands of the police offended quite a bit of people, including myself. And it’s good that you appear to have the desire to make amends, but you have to go beyond words. 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/drew-brees-kneeling-national-anthem-protest-nfl/

As Sports Columnist Dave Zirin pointed out on the show I co host with Seth Everett Center Of Attention on ESPN Syracuse, everyone in New Orleans loves The Who Dat Nation, and they love Drew Brees (prior to this). In his words, 

“If there’s one thing that the people of New Orleans love whether it’s Black folks white folks it’s the Who Dat Saints. It’s the connective tissue of the city, and Drew Brees for many people has been the symbol of that. So when you have people now in the city of New Orleans chanting eff Drew Brees, it shows how he took that platform that he has and did something really hurtful with it” 

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/642298824

This is why what seemed like the entire social media world was hurt, shocked, and angered by your declaration that you would never agree with NFL players who knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality. 

https://twitter.com/yahoofinance/status/1268206174073126915?s=21

Most notably your teammate Malcolm Jenkins. 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/03/us/drew-brees-nfl-disrespect-flag-trnd/index.html

But you apologized and took owness of it. You said you missed the mark and condemned your own comments and called them insensitive. You said your comments lacked awareness or any type of empathy and acknowledged that your  words became divisive and hurtful and you didn’t like the way your words were being weaponized (which they definitely and most are notably by Donald Trump 

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1268998142860627969?s=21

And Laura Ingrahm 

https://www.nj.com/giants/2020/06/fox-news-laura-ingraham-defends-backing-drew-brees-after-telling-lebron-james-to-shut-up-and-dribble.html

They are definitely helping to convince  everyone that you are on their side, and your response to Donald Trump I thought was very well said 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29273182/drew-brees-stands-apology-flag-comments-response-president-trump

But now it’s time for you to go beyond words. As a white ally, you have the opportunity to really make an impact in a way that goes beyond our reach. And I would like to give you some concrete examples of ways to achieve that. 

In my book We Matter “Athletes And Activism” I asked wife receiver Torrey Smith who was a teammate of Kaepernick’s what they as a team were doing to directly fight against police brutality after Kaepernick took a knee and this is what he told me

“What we have been doing lately is visiting different police academies. Every away game we have been talking to a different police chief of that city to figure out what they are doing and how they are training their officers.....The team donated a million dollars to grassroots programs who are trying to fight police brutality” 

Drew, this is something you could put in place at the start of the season. That’s a tangible way to show that you do in fact as you said in your apology, “stand with the Black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality, and support the effort for real police change that can make a difference” this is a tangible way that you could use your celebrity and your Influence to bring about real change. 

People like to make it seem as if this were a massive grandiose issue like “solving racism in America”. That’s not the issue nor is that even possible. We are talking specifically about police brutality and we have a several playbooks, it’s just that we aren’t following it. 

For example, after the murders of countless Black Men and Women at the hands of the police in 2014 and 2015, then President Obama put together what would be called the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing comprised of civil rights attorneys, community activists, academics, and police professionals whose specific task was to develop recommendations and a playbook focused on police reform. Which ranged from having specific clear cut policies of when officers can and cannot use force instead of it being up to their own judgement. The effectiveness of community policing. 

https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/blog/president-s-task-force-21st-century-policing-recommendations-print-action

And in the final report, they specifically outlined everything and gave recommendations of how to make police more productive, safer, more constructive, more effective, more constitutional and just better for everyone involved both police and citizens. 

And it produced results. Some police departments specifically in Seattle and Cleveland have witnessed positive data from implementing some of the policies of the task force. They’ve proven to work. 

https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf

But unfortunately, most of the police departments around the country completely ignored the recommendations of the task force. 

This could be delivered specifically by you to every police department you meet with as you use your celebrity to actively influence change. This doesn’t cost money from you. This is not donating to the Boys and Girls Club (although I love the Boys and Girls club and am a actual ambassador for the Boys Club in Harlem) 

But this is specifically dealing with the issue at hand. You could start an entire movement toward police reform with an actual playbook that’s already laid out by the specific group that then President Obama put together. 

Again, your response to Trump was very well said and extremely important as he was attempting to use your words to create more division, something he prides himself on doing. He thrives on it. He plays to his fan base and uses dog whistles to gain their support so that they overlook his myriad of other mistakes such as his handling of the coronavirus which has resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 Americans (but I digress)  

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-deaths-100000-united-states-toll/

I applaud the way you handled this and you are well on your way to returning to your place of being the connective tissue for the city of New Orleans 

You represent a large portion of white america who are apologetic for their previous positions and now want to make amends and be an ally. I want to encourage you and all of the new white allies to continue to use your voice, and your public statements standing in solidarity, but to go beyond that and utilize your privilege and influence to bring about real change.