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Rick Carlisle, Michael Malone Discuss Impact of Jacob Blake Shooting
August 26, 2020
Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle and Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone joined the list of NBA players and coaches who have reacted to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Carlisle called it a "horrible gut punch," per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, adding "the importance of basketball is so far down the list when you consider the events of recent months."
As for Malone, he expressed frustration with the inability of players and coaches to do as much as possible while they are in the bubble at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
"I'll be honest, I don't think there is anything that we can do here that is going to stop what is happening across this country, with the latest example being Kenosha," Malone said, per Youngmisuk. "... By being here, we are isolated and we can't help where maybe we need to help. It is frustrating for a lot of players, a lot of coaches, to be here."
Youngmisuk shared more of Malone's comments:
"When we all packed our bags to come down here, we all vowed to make sure we kept the narrative, and the commentary and conversation on this moment, on this movement. And unfortunately, even if we weren't keeping that conversation going, the outside world will not allow it to go away because it continues to happen.
"For us this is our 50th day in the bubble. I didn't expect, I don't think anybody else did, that in 50 days we are going to snap our fingers and say everything is better because the NBA was in the bubble and they said Black Lives Matter. That is just unrealistic. A lot more work has to go into it. But this is a start."
Carlisle and Malone are far from the only ones to weigh in on the shooting of Blake on Sunday.
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown told reporters: "I wear No. 7 and now when I look at my jersey, all I see is a Black man being shot seven times in the back."
He also said he wants to protest:
Elsewhere, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James told reporters: "Quite frankly, it's just f--ked up in our community. ... We are scared as Black people in America. Black men, Black women, Black kids...we are terrified."
Malika Andrews and Tim Bontemps of ESPN reported the Toronto Raptors discussed potentially boycotting Thursday's playoff game against Boston as part of their response. Yahoo Sports' Keith Smith noted Celtics guard Marcus Smart said he and his teammates have also discussed not playing.
Leah Asmelash of CNN shared details regarding Blake, noting video of police shooting him seven times in the back as he approached a car circulated on social media.
Benjamin Crump, who is an attorney hired by Blake's family, said Blake's three sons were in the car. Crump also said Blake is in intensive care and underwent surgery Tuesday.
Blake's father, Jacob Sr., said his son is suffering from paralysis from the waist down.