Gregg Popovich, the San Antonio Spurs coach, is very involved in American political life. - Charles Krupa / AP / SIPA

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 there is a dangerous crossroads, that something will happen one day and that nobody does anything. And one day, a kid is killed and a stop sign is put on. We must very quickly put up stop signs because our country is in danger. And the basic reason is racial, "said Popovich in a video.

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he's “embarrassed as a white person” pic.twitter.com/0qO1Ian8sG

- Breaking911 (@ Breaking911) June 7, 2020

"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, referring to the drama that occurred on the 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 usual his job is ... All he has to do is put his left hand in his pocket, wave his knee to give this person some kind of lesson. In his mind, it was his right and his duty to do so, ”Popovich continues.

"It is up to us to prefer truth to power and to proclaim it"

"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 are 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, it is up to whites to change things. " It has to be done. 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, to try to transform this lie into truth. It is therefore up to us to prefer truth to power and to proclaim it whatever the consequences. We must not let anything go by, ”he concluded.

Sport

Death of George Floyd: Gregg Popovich calls Donald Trump "disturbed idiot" and "coward"

  • San antonio spurs
  • NBA
  • George Floyd
  • United States
  • Sport