Doc Rivers blasts Senator Hawley: "Whenever we talk about justice, people try to change the message."
Yesterday, Adrian Wojnarowski became entangled in an argument with Missouri Senator Josh Hawley over players putting messages on their jerseys that didn't include criticizing China.
After Hawley leaked a conversation between the two, Wojnarowski ultimately apologized to Hawley for sending an email with coarse language. Doc Rivers is on Team Woj.
"I mean, we have a senator that Tweets at Woj yesterday just because he was talking about what we were going to put on the back of our jersey," Rivers said. "And they always try to turn it into the military or the police. There's no league that does more for the military than the NBA."
Like Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers has always been very vocal about racism in America. He's had his house burnt down by racists, and experienced firsthand the injustices of the country. He's sick and tired of seeing those stories go unheard. That's why he challenged Senator Hawley.
"But how about that Senator," Rivers said. "I'll make a challenge: We will do things for the troops as long as he acknowledges #BlackLivesMatter. I think that would be really cool for him to do."
Often times, the quest for change gets mutated by the media into something entirely different from its origin. The perfect example is the instance Colin Kaepernick. It took four years after Kaepernick after kneeled for people to realize his perspective. Rivers is tired of seeing the message change.
"You know, it's funny, whenever we talk about justice, people try to change the message," Rivers said. "Colin Kaepernick kneels; it had nothing to do with truth. It had to do with social injustice, and everyone tried to change the narrative."
The NBA has been at the forefront of progressivism, making political statements, and being a part of the community. Nearly every team has multiple military games, showcases military members at games, and contributes to the cause. The LA Clippers have a Military Monday, that occurs on the first Monday game of each month during the regular season. The entire game is a showcasing of the military.
"I guarantee you, we've done more for the military than probably that Senator," Rivers said. "And I guarantee you this: We also are going to do things for #BlackLivesMatter. How about him? Maybe he should join into that."
