San Antonio Spurs: Gregg Popovich is the role model that we need right now

Few members of the NBA family are as outspoken as San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who is a leader in the fight against racial injustice.

You’ve already seen the headlines and probably heard the snippets, but we’re going to rehash some of San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich’s comments regarding the racial disparities in this country. We let you know about the #SpursVoices campaign that the organization’s social media team has been sharing, but Pop is doing more than just his part to speak up for what he believes in.

Popovich joined former Spur Steve Kerr and Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll on their podcast to discuss the racial injustices in this country just a few days ago. Coach Pop called for White Americans everywhere to stand up for the fight against racial injustice, calling back to the nationwide fight against drunk driving. Popovich recalled that it was the mothers of this country who spoke up to reject the normalcy of drunk driving in this country and now, it’s White American’s turn to stand up for Black Americans.

During that interview, Pop also noted the “sorrowful admission” of the atrocities against people of color by those in positions of power in this country. He questioned whether or not it’s okay to have conversations with his young granddaughter about the situation but then compared that to the conversations that Black families need to have in these trying times. More so than anything, Popovich states the importance of speaking up.

“It’s got to be us that speak truth to power, that call it out no matter the consequences. We have to not let anything go. Our country is in trouble and the basic reason is race.”#SpursVoices pic.twitter.com/uTyOIzGnTg

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) June 6, 2020

“Nothing happens because people are silent, because people are quiet,” Popovich said. “There’s always got to be a reaction.

This is the kind of approach that the great Spurs leader hopes that his fans and listeners will take away with them from all of his conversations. Between interviews with the media and the direct video clips of his thoughts published to the Spurs’ social media outlets, Pop is calling on Spurs fans to be better citizens and react accordingly to the suffering of Black people in this country.

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More so than ever, it’s important for people to listen to each other with an open mind and try to learn things from other people’s perspectives. San Antonio’s diversity is one of the aspects of the city that the Spurs’ organization looks to celebrate and part of that celebration is simply getting to understand each other better.

Popovich’s point, and the point of the Spurs Voices campaign as a whole for that matter, is to get people to listen to something other than what you’re used to. This isn’t a political conversation or one about which ideology you lean toward, but rather that it’s a human rights issue in a country that prides itself for being the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Coach Pop served this country as a member of the Air Force and has spent his life learning about culture, history and the intricacies of the human mind. He’s lived more life than most of us ever have and in that time, he’s learned a lot about how the world works. Now, he’s using his platform to try to educate those who’s willing to listen about what’s going on in the country that he loves so dearly. He’s a true leader and one who stands up for all Americans.

The question is, are you willing to listen?