Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers was emotional while discussing the August 23 shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which has sparked national outrage and some violent protests.
The shooting of Blake — apparently while three of his children looked on — was captured on cellphone video and ignited new protests over racial injustice in the US just three months after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police touched off a wider reckoning on race.
“That video, if you watch that video — you don’t need to be Black to be outraged,’' Rivers said. “You need to be American and outraged. How dare the Republicans talk about fear. We’re the ones that need to be scared. We’re the ones having to talk to every Black child. What white father has to give his son a talk about being careful if you get pulled over? It’s just ridiculous. It keeps going. There’s no charges. Breonna Taylor — no charges. Nothing. All we’re asking is you live up to the Constitution. That’s all we’re asking -- for everybody. For everyone.”
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Doc Rivers with so much insight and honesty on the state of our world pic.twitter.com/Zdyla2adsh
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) August 26, 2020
Rivers, who coached the Celtics to the NBA title in 2008, is manning the West No. 2 seed Clippers as they try to eliminate the upstart Mavericks in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
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