NBA head coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers poured out his heart in a poignant speech about the deplorable state of racial affairs in the United States.
Rivers, the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, the team favored to win the NBA title during this year’s truncated season, delivered a power-packed address regarding the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2020.
“All you hear is Donald Trump and all of them talking about fear,” Rivers said about speakers at this week’s Republican National Convention after removing the face mask he was wearing to ensure he could be heard clearly.
“We’re the ones getting killed. We’re the ones getting shot. We’re the ones that, we’re denied to live in certain communities. We’ve been hung. We’ve been shot. And all you do is keep hearing about fear.”
As Rivers spoke, he began to tear up and his voice cracked several times.
“It’s amazing why we keep loving this country, and this country does not love us back. It’s really so sad.”
Rivers added: “Like, I should just be a coach. I’m so often reminded of my color. It’s just really sad. We got to do better. But we got to demand better,” he said.
“It’s funny. We protest. They send riot guards, right? They send people in riot outfits. They go up to Michigan with guns, and they’re spitting on cops and nothing happens.”
Click the video below to listen to Rivers’ speech in its entirety.
