Los Angeles (AFP)

After pinging US President Donald Trump, San Antonio (NBA) coach Gregg Popovich returned to the death of George Floyd, "a lynching" he never thought he would "see with his own eyes", claiming that the United States was "in danger" because of racism.

"It's like in a neighborhood when you know that there is a dangerous crossroads, that something will happen one day and that nobody does anything. And one day, a kid is killed and we put up a sign Stop, we have to put up stop signs very quickly because our country is in danger. And the fundamental reason is racial, "Popovich explained in a video.

"As strange and paradoxical as it may seem, the most instructive moment of this recent tragedy is, I think, to look at the face of this policeman", he added, with reference to the drama that occurred on 25 May in Minneapolis when a white policeman pressed his knee for more than eight minutes on the neck of Floyd, who died a few moments later.

"White people can see how nonchalant (this policeman) is, how relaxed he is, how much his usual job is ... All he has to do is put his left hand in his pocket, wave his knee to to give this person a kind of lesson. In his mind, it was his right and his duty to do so, "Popovich continues.

"I'm just embarrassed as a white person that this can happen. In fact, seeing a lynching, we all see that in the books. We see black people hanging. And we're amazed. But here, we just saw it again I never thought I would see it with my own eyes, live, "he lamented.

For the Spurs coach, who attacked Donald Trump's cowardice last week, calling him "a deranged idiot", it's up to whites to change things.

"We have to do it. Blacks have borne this burden for 400 years (...) In many ways, from the very beginning, the history of our nation was a lie, and we continue today, mainly blacks and people of color trying to turn this lie into truth. So it's up to us to prefer the truth to the power and proclaim it regardless of the consequences. We must not let anything go by, "he said. he concluded.

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