After NBA players decided collectively to use their voices and their platforms to take a unified stand against police brutality following the horrific shooting by the Kenosha Wisconsin police that was caught on video who shot Jacob Blake 7 times in the back in front of his 3 sons, praise came from across the nation. President Obama, Democratic Nominee Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, rappers, actors, movie stars, politicians, everyone was so proud of the good move the NBA players. This collective show of strength and solidarity is what many have been waiting for. Then came the congratulations from Stephen A Smith
https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1298731743395147789?s=21
The problem with your congratulations in particular is that just two months ago, you called Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley “foolish” for even suggesting that players should use their collective voices and take a stand against police brutality and boycott going into the bubble. You went on one of your over dramatic rants and ridiculed them on First Take as if you were personally offended that they had the audacity to let something so ridiculous even come out of their mouths. Your exact words were
“I absolutely do not agree with them. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that their position has been foolish as I am concerned. I respect the fact — and I want to make sure that I’m clear about this — I am not talking about if you’re not going back to work because of the coronavirus. I totally understand that. If you choose to make that decision for the better being, for the well-being of yourself and the family members who you are near, then obviously that has a profound impact and I totally respect and understand that. But that’s not what Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard are talking about. … The fact that racial oppression or racial inequality, brutality on the part of police officers and all of that stuff exists is not an excuse not to show up to work. … If you have the LeBron James’, the Kyrie Irving’s and others playing their role in bringing attention to these issues, then you hand it off to people that know what to do with that attention and that elevated level of awareness to really provoke the kind of change that we’re talking about here. We seem to think that, excuse me, just protesting and raising holy hell is going to get done what we need to get done. That is not the answer, and certainly it’s not refusing to show up because of that issue. … I totally disagree with Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving, and I suspect that I’m not alone, that a lot of people agree with what I’m saying”
Max Kellerman tried to break it down for you on First Take to show you the error of your ways but you still wouldn’t budge. How ironic is it for a white man to have to break down to a Black Man the oversell significance of what Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley were trying to do and how that related and connected to the bigger picture of Black entertainment being used in the history of this country while conditions for Black People were not improved as it specifically related to police brutality and respecting their position that they didn’t want to be a distraction and take away from the push we were seeing happen across the country after the gruesome murder of George Floyd. A white man shouldn’t have to break that down for Stephen A Smith. But after Max Kellerman made his eloquent points, you still didn’t get it. You immediately pivoted to discussing the money that they were giving up and seemingly missed his entire point and repeated that what Kyrie was doing just, in your words, “didn’t make sense” to you although Max Kellernman just broke it all down for you.
Then you attempted to shift the focus to Kyrie somehow undermining Chris Paul and Lebron James by formulating a separate players coalition and not going along with the players association vote to start the season ? So now, because you disagreed with his position you attempt to pit him against his NBA brothers ?
Then you say and I quote,
“It’s about making sure you know what you’re talking about before you open your mouth”
Which is the most insulting response to give someone who you disagree with. It’s demeaning. Belittling. Not that they just have a different opinion than you, but that they need to be educated so that they can fully understand how ridiculous their position is. How dismissive and insulting was that ?
But it wasn’t just you.
Charles Barkley also is guilty of publicly ridiculing Kyrie and Dwight Howard for their stance.
Charles Barkley said on ESPN’s Get Up
“I have no idea what Kyrie and Dwight are talking about, but it’ll be a catastrophic mistake not to play.” you also added,
“I think it would be stupid to not play,”
“LeBron [James] is probably the most famous athlete in the United States. He won’t be visible anywhere. So out of sight, out of mind. Also, these guys have got to realize, this money ain’t gonna come back and they’re gonna lose billions of dollars that the players can use to go into their own communities and do some great stuff.”
https://twitter.com/getupespn/status/1272558639241445377?s=21
Many more were completely dismissing their positions and using specific language to drive the point home that their positions were misguided, ridiculous, absurd, and that they should be dismissed completely. I wouldn’t say that you all were taking a position that was similar to Laura Ingrahm’s message to Lebron, but it definitely sounded like shut up and dribble’s close cousin.
It’s important to note that before the 68 Olympics, Kareem Abdul Jabbar elected to not play. Here is a clip of an interview I personally conducted with him for my show The Rematch on FliTV where he specifically explains why he chose to not participate in the Olympics and instead opted to work and get money for school.
See full interview by clicking on link below
https://www.fli.tv/rematch-w-etan-thomas
Would you Stephen A Smith or Charles Barkley have criticized him for that ?
John Carlos and Tommie Smith participated in the 68 Olympics and made a statement that resonates even today which was to raise their Black Power fist on the podium after their race. Two different ways both equally deserving of respect.
It’s also important to note that players such as NBA athlete activist pioneers have utilized the art of boycotting as a way to push the NBA to use its collective power to adopt policy change so there is precedence.
The 1964 all star game where NBA players threatened to boycott. A list that included
Hall Of Famers Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Jerry Lucas, Tommy Heinsohn, Hal Greer, Sam Jones, Chet Walker, Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy, Wilt Chamberlain and Lenny Wilkens. Here’s what happened.
“Just hours before tipoff, the players took a strike vote to determine whether they would refuse to play unless the league agreed to implement a pension plan.
According to David Halberstam in "Breaks of the Game," the vote was 11-9 to strike, with Russell among the leaders of the pro-strike faction and Chamberlain among those who voted to play regardless.
Fifteen minutes before tipoff, NBA commissioner Walter Kennedy agreed to the pension demands, and pro sports had its biggest union victory by far.“
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/1856287-181/1964-stars-threatened-to-boycott
These are the footsteps the players are following in.
Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that
The NBA has scheduled a special Board of Governors meeting on Thursday morning, sources tell ESPN.
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1298778627669143558?s=21
What if the NBA players, now that they have everyone’s attention, demanded that NBA CEO’s like Marc Lasry, Wes Eden, Jamie Dinan (Buccs)
Ted Leonsis (Wizards) Steve Ballman (Clippers) Jeanie Buss (Lakers) and evening James Dolan (Knicks) use their influence to pressure cities to threaten to cut the funding of police departments if they didn’t adopt tangible police reform and police accountability measures? I bet you would see results immediately. If they can pressure cities to fund the build of new arenas, I’m sure they can do this.
That would create tangible change through the power of the NBA that congress hasn’t been able to bring about. That no politician has been able to bring about. That would change the entire country.
I respect both Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving and Avery Bradley for what they expressed then, and I respect what the NBA and WNBA players are doing now. And no they didn’t sound foolish and it wasn’t “ridiculous” or “absurd” or that they were looking for a reason not to show up to work like you disrespectfully said, and they definitely weren’t “stupid” like Charles Barkley said, they simply didn’t want to divert the attention away from everything that was going on. This is a special movement right now. An awakening. And they wanted and want the focus to remain on that and basketball was the furthest thing from their minds. Lebron James just said
“I got half my brain locked on the playoffs, the other half on how I can help Black People.
So, Stephen A Smith you can see how you now praising the NBA players for boycotting can be problematic.
You and Charles Barkley and everyone else who publicly ridiculed them owe Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley a public apology. Not a personal text or call, but be as loud and demonstrative on your national ESPN platform with your apologies as you were with your ridicules.
And PS:
Stephen A Smith, you also owe Kaepernick an apology for publicly lambasting him and saying that he wants to be a martyr and doesn’t want to play after the tryout hoax put on by the NFL
