- Spurs coach says something is “wrong” with the USA
- Pop says it was impossible to focus on just basketball amid ongoing social issues
- Coach explains how using his platform made him feel like he was doing something important
As, arguably, the top coach in the business right now, Gregg Popovich has the ultimate green light in San Antonio, and that extends beyond just the basketball court.
Over the years, Pop has used his platform to speak up on many political subjects, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the George Floyd protests from years ago, and the ongoing political conflict involving Doland Trump.
While most in Pop’s position would stay quiet to avoid unnecessary risk, the Spurs coach has made his opinions known to the public and he has no regrets about taking a stand for the values he believes in.
“At some point, I realized how much is just wrong with our country, especially as far as social injustice is concerned,” said Popovich during the 2023 Hall of Fame press conference. “To be totally blunt with you, when I look at my team, they are mostly black… but when you’re aware of these injustices, and what some of these players had to endure as kids, then you look at some other situation that’s in flux right now… you have people who wanna burn books, ban books and tell us that the people in slavery learned good lessons… It just seemed to me that it would be a way to develop more trust if you actually brought something to light that is important. It made me feel like I was doing something that was more important than just basketball.”
“It made me feel like I was doing something that was more important than just basketball.”
Coach Pop on why he began using his platform to speak out on social injustice issues https://t.co/37tDfgTK3k
— NBA TV (@NBATV) August 11, 2023
The NBA’s messaging over the past few years has been extremely obvious, and they’ve made no attempt to hide their stance on certain issues. For Popovich, in particular, he has not wasted chances to call out the country’s leaders, from Donald Trump to Joe Biden.
Today, while Popovich will likely always be willing to offer his point on political issues, most of his focus will be spent on building a contender around Victor Wembanyama.
Popovich Set To Lead Promising Future In San Antonio
After signing a lucrative 3-year extension with the Spurs this summer, Pop has agreed to stick around for at least a little while longer. For now, expectations are still very low for the Spurs, but it won’t be too long before Popovich makes the Spurs competitive in the West.
Love him or hate him, coach isn’t going anywhere, and he’s going to speak his mind to whoever will listen. After over 1,300 wins with the Spurs, it’s fair to say he’s earned the right to speak freely. You can’t blame him for using that platform to expose the country’s most divisive issues.
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