Hundreds of thousands
of young kids every day
dream of being an NBA player.
Obviously, most
of the players look like me.
Most of the players are
African American.
Many of the players come
from humble backgrounds,
as do I,
and all of them have had
to work really hard
and defy odds
to get to where they are.
LeBron James...
LeBron JAMES: You know, this is
a longtime dream
to finally accomplish this.
I'm shaking right now.
You know,
if you step on my toes,
I'mma tell you about it.
Basketball fans are
waiting to see
how you're going to do.
It makes me
all the more protective
of what they've achieved
and their power.
I can't explain this year, man.
And, uh, you know,
we used... we used to...
I don't know
how you answer that question.
It's like that, uh...
I feel like every time
you turn around the corner,
you're getting punched
in the face.
Nah, I ain't gonna
get hit again. Bam!
With the first pick
in the 2019 NBA Draft,
the New Orleans Pelicans
select Zion Williamson
from Duke University.
The Memphis Grizzlies select
Ja Morant.
RJ Barrett. De'Andre Hunter.
Matisse Thybulle from
the University of Washington.
You get drafted, right?
Walk up, whole time
you're just thinking, like,
don't trip, like,
make sure to look
in the right direction
at the camera.
And then you get off the stage,
and it was, like,
the best way I could describe it
was a media gauntlet.
How your mom Elizabeth
still inspires you to this day...
What does it mean
to walk across that stage
in honor of her?
I wish she was here to see it.
I mean, my mom's a doctor,
she took care of people,
so I try to give back
as much as I can.
And now being in the NBA,
I think I'll have even more
of a stage
to do that now, so...
Before you know it,
it's 2:00 in the morning.
Like, okay, we need you
to be in Philly
at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow.
And I'm like, "What?"
Let's dance.
Yeah, it was almost like
the first day of school again.
What's it gonna be like
seeing yourself in the game?
That might be the craziest part.
Yeah, it has been a tough year.
Things are as uncertain now
as they have ever been.
- No justice!
- No peace!
- No justice!
- No peace!
The NBA is back!
Gets turned around,
Delon Wright, blocked!
Epic play by Gobert.
I'll just say that
humanity has been
really been out
of our comfort zone right now.
- Coronavirus.
- Coronavirus. - Coronavirus.
- This is their new hoax.
- Is likely to spread.
Danny Green!
If we can get through this year
and actually come out on top
as an organization, man...
We could make it
through this season.
We could not make it
through this season, like,
who knows what's
going to happen?
Donovan Mitchell going
to the roof right here.
What a sh*t by Jaylen Brown!
The bubble experience,
it was a little different.
Um, you know, it helped me
see a lot of things,
uh, for what they really are,
with no distractions.
- No justice!
- No peace!
There's such a spotlight on...
On every situation.
Alley-oop to McGee, slam dunk!
And Haslem scored the goal.
2nd COMMENTATOR: Solo!
Wow! What a game
for Matisse Thybulle!
My rookie year was
definitely an experience,
one to remember.
We were, like, we knew
it was gonna be a little crazy,
but we definitely
didn't expect...
There's no way
we could have expected
what actually happened.
For the win! Yeah!
2nd COMMENTATOR:
Wow, the crowd on their feet.
That's what they came to see.
Have identified the cause
of the mysterious pneumonia...
Just because
of what was going on
in-in China first
and how quick the virus
was spreading all over Europe
and hitting...
Hitting Italy first.
Nobody was prepared for, uh,
a tragedy of this magnitude.
And so I was like,
well, it's gonna take...
It's gonna take just a couple
of weeks, and we're gonna be
in the same situation
in the States.
We have lost nobody
to coronavirus
in the United States.
We had an administration
in the White House
that was telling us
things are gonna be all right.
It's certainly not
as serious as it appears.
Are there worries about
a pandemic at this point?
No, not at all, and we're...
We have it totally
under control.
We were, like, 30 days ahead
because we were reading
Italian newspapers.
We were talking
to our relatives back home.
In Italy, the restrictions were
different than the States.
My mom was by herself,
and she was not able
to get out of the house
for almost three months.
Uh, I can't imagine,
you know, uh,
a life, uh, without getting out
your apartment, your house.
- Those people in the U.S.
- were just discounting
even the possibility that
the virus would actually come.
Because, yeah,
we shut down the flights.
It was so, uh, naive
to think that the virus was not
already all over the place.
And there are fears
the coronavirus has now reached
the United States.
2nd REPORTER: Increases
every day, so this is very worrying.
All right, so the coronavirus
is making its impact felt
- across the world of sports.
- And they have shut down
the Italian Soccer League,
they shut down Chinese.
- Basketball Association...
- Maybe we're gonna have
the games, which is
what they've done in Europe,
but you're not gonna be able
to have fans in there.
Ain't got the fans in the crowd,
that's who I play for;
If I show up
to an arena, and there
ain't no fans in there,
- I ain't playing.
- Administration has
taken the most aggressive action
in modern history.
What is the next step?
'Cause if one player...
One player...
Comes down with the virus...
Everything was foggy at that
particular moment in time,
and it was incredibly scary.
I'm not an idiot.
I could tell there's
nothing unique about Americans
that's gonna
stop this thing
from coming to us.
It wasn't if it was gonna
affect our game.
It was... It was simply
a question of when.
I mean, we just gotta be
prepared for anything.
And at the same time,
keep living,
keep doing what we do.
The first two games between
these teams were in Utah.
2nd COMMENTATOR: Now, they
don't have the services of Rudy Gobert.
Now, that guy's
not here tonight.
Rudy Gobert,
he's out with an illness.
Now Chris Paul went in
poked his head in to try to get
a little more information.
As soon as I walk on the court,
I don't see the...
The referees in their spots.
And you see the teams heading
back to the locker room.
I knew something was...
Was wrong.
My head went right to the virus.
Tonight has been postponed.
You are all safe.
Thank you
for coming out tonight.
I mean, it's not within
the realm of possibilities.
It's just, it seemed more like
out of a movie than reality.
We shut it down.
The NBA suspended its season
after a player on the Utah Jazz
tested positive for coronavirus.
And, yeah, I was the first
NBA player to test positive.
Instead of saying that
the-the COVID caused
the shutdown of NBA,
all the headlines were saying
that Rudy Gobert caused it.
From Rudy Gobert to the bubble.
How unfair is that?
Now we're hearing,
uh, Donovan Mitchell,
after Rudy Gobert.
Donovan Mitchell
had no symptoms.
Solo in here,
playing video games all day
and, um, can't wait
to get back out there
and play in front of
the best fans in the world.
So we need role models,
like Gobert now,
to come out and say, hey,
I didn't take this seriously.
I wish I would've took
this thing more seriously.
And I hope everyone else
is gonna do so.
It was strange,
a strange feeling.
You know, this...
This whole thing happened
so... so suddenly.
Immediately as a player,
you start thinking about,
well, what's gonna happen
to my contract?
How we gonna practice?
How we gonna just stay in shape?
And then is the game gonna
be able to continue?
How are we gonna
work through this?
Can you kind of take me through
the way Wednesday played out?
I was like, this is about
to get real, you know?
Life was not normal after that.
I think that there was
a clear consensus,
I think we're at
the point now that
that this has been declared
a pandemic.
It was a nightmare.
I'm from New York, so my family,
every week, there was, you know,
two or three people that we knew
were passing away.
Uh, for a multi-billion-dollar
industry
to completely shut down,
that's when you knew COVID-19,
the coronavirus pandemic,
had reached
astronomical proportions
and that it was going
to ravage the lives
not just of Americans
but everyone across this globe.
As a basketball fan,
I'm depressed.
As a human being
and as an American citizen,
I'm getting to the point
where I'm scared as hell.
Uh, what was your
thought process in saying,
okay, we're going to suspend,
as opposed to
cancel the rest of the season?
I think the goal...
And been talking a lot
to Michele Roberts,
the Players Association,
just talked to Chris Paul,
the president of the union,
again earlier tonight...
Coming together,
what makes sense here
without compromising
anyone's safety?
Then the phone calls started
from the players.
I always love talking
to players, but frankly,
I didn't talk to players
at this... at this level, ever.
And I was fielding
15 player calls a day.
As time went on
and more people were dying,
and then this myth of,
under 30, you're safe,
began to reveal itself
as being exactly that, a myth,
then the players were, well,
you know, what do you mean,
return to play?
I'm not trying to die
for basketball.
Maybe this is too much, y'all.
We don't...
We don't need to go play.
And I remember
we called Michele,
"We ain't gonna do this.
We ain't gonna do this.
Like, it's too much."
She said, "All right,
fellas, that's cool.
But this, this,
this, this, and this."
There are gonna be hundreds
if not thousands
of people who lose
their paychecks.
I mean, this is gonna
have a big impact
not just for those of us
who like to watch
but for those people
for whom it's their livelihood.
And when we did the math,
it was pretty obvious
that there was gonna be
a substantial financial hit.
You know, I could be like,
look, man, I got enough money.
I don't care what we do.
Whatever, I'm gonna be good.
But that ain't...
That ain't how this work,
you know, 'cause we're a union.
We got a full body of players,
and we got young guys
who came in our league
who didn't foresee
anything like this.
Our players' average stay
in the NBA is...
Is under... it's about 4.2 years.
Some of us are not gonna
be around for a while.
There's so many more issues
than players being able
to play here, okay?
The pandemic has
affected everyone
who needs something
to root for, uh,
something to get up in
the morning to look forward to.
If the games ever stop,
Rome stops.
If Americans don't have
the joy of sports
and entertainment,
this country may go berserk.
Assuming they can figure out
a way to do it mechanically,
there will be a restart, yes?
- The bubble.
- The bubble. - The bubble.
- The bubble.
- They were like, "What?!"
What did you think first when
you heard about the bubble?
I mean, it sounded crazy.
The environment outside
is so unsafe
that you have to seal yourself
in a bubble to play?
We had to deal with the virus,
and that was our number one
priority, our number one issue.
So we had to get the players'
perspective, we had to get
the medical community's
perspective,
we had to get
the league's perspective,
um, and just coming
together and...
And trying to create
this $100 million bubble.
You know how many skeptics
were out there
telling them they couldn't
do it... it couldn't be done?
JaVALE McGee: I did have a
hesitation going into the bubble,
um, just because I...
I don't like closed spaces.
I don't like restrictions.
It was like over 100 pages
of the health protocols.
I think that helped,
um, with a lot of the anxiety
of the players,
and it helped educate them.
I mean, I didn't read it.
It's almost like the Apple
Terms and Conditions.
You're like, yeah, I accept.
But there were
countless conversation
about which barbers would come
into the bubble.
Whoo!
Make sure you guys have ice.
We need, uh, semis of ice.
- Aah!
- Whoo!
See what it takes to be great?
I love wine.
Had a lot of cases of wine
shipped to the bubble.
I knew most of the players
wanted to be in Vegas,
uh, but they knew
they wouldn't be able
to keep these dudes contained
if they were in Vegas.
So, as a result of that,
you know, they had them
in Orlando, at Mickey Mouse.
Fortunately, at that time,
Disney was shut down as well.
They were aware
of what the needs
of an NBA team environment
would be.
Disney was able
to implement it for us.
The NBA believes
once we get down to Orlando
in that bubble,
that things will be safe
and that this will work.
I frankly did not plan to come
for any length of time
when the players started saying,
"Michele, you coming, right?"
I said, "Yeah, I'm coming."
I guess I'm coming.
None of us really knew
if it was gonna be safe or not,
but with time
and with, you know,
having the conversations,
we felt more and more confident
that this thing could...
Could... could happen.
Just as we were starting
to get in a rhythm and, like,
okay, this is
how we can be helpful...
Let me see your hands.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
- Let me see your other hand.
- Please, please, Mr. Officer...
- Both hands.
- I didn't do nothing.
- Put your hands up right now.
- Hey, please, please...
- Let me see your other hand.
- I didn't do nothing.
All right. What'd I do, though?
Look how they
ignore people out here.
Got him kneed on the ground.
He crying...
I'm in pain. Please, please...
Please, I can't breathe.
Please, man.
Please, somebody help me...
How long y'all gotta
hold him down?
Why you don't do dr*gs, kids.
It ain't about dr*gs, bro.
Nah, y'all don't gotta put...
Right.
He is human, bro.
Bro, you got him down, man.
Let him breathe, least.
I can't breathe.
2nd MAN:
I've been trying to help out...
3rd MAN: One of my homeys
d*ed the same way back...
- I'm about to die...
- Relax.
You know, at my age,
I've... this is not news,
and that's what's so...
So frustrating.
It's not news.
And so when I saw it,
I said, you know,
kinda, here we go again.
That was, um
that was hard
to stomach, you know?
And I... I think it...
I think it shocked the world
that this was done
so nonchalantly, a person's life
was taken away.
It's not easy
to watch a, um, a man
kneel on the neck of a man.
When George Floyd... when
everybody watched that video,
I was overwhelmed
with emotion, of course.
It was incredibly sad.
It was incredibly depressing,
but to say that that's something
that's normal,
that wasn't normal.
Even with
the most heinous things
that we have experienced
in American history.
I don't know if we can recall
somebody leaning
on the neck of a Black man
for eight minutes and 46 seconds
while the cameras are rolling.
I don't know
if we can say definitively
that we've ever seen
anything close to that.
Having said all of that,
the other things are
unfortunately
yet incredulously normal.
I'm here for my baby.
And I'm here for George.
Because I want justice for him.
Try to shelter your kids
from certain experiences,
but you contemplate,
should I show this to my kids?
Right?
Like, is it too much for her?
Is this too heavy to show
an eight-year-old little girl?
But we showed her.
We showed her.
And so as my daughter,
as she watched the video
and she saw what happened,
she cried.
She said, "Is this gonna
happen to Chris?"
And that's my son.
What do you want people to know?
Kinda that I miss him.
No matter what you do, right?
You can just be
into lifting weights.
You might just be tall, right?
But you're just always
looked at as a thr*at,
and that's not a good feeling.
We're all sitting in quarantine
and feeling helpless
like we couldn't do anything.
And, um
the idea struck to me
was that I wanted to go
be in a place and protest,
where I felt like my voice
and my presence mattered most.
And the first place
that came to mind was Georgia.
- No justice!
- No peace!
- No justice! No justice!
- No peace! No peace!
Throughout the country,
more protests today
from New York to California,
tens of thousands
remembering George Floyd
and demanding change.
2nd REPORTER:
For the 12th night in a row,
a coast-to-coast call to action.
3rd REPORTER:
Nationwide protests,
4th REPORTER:
For not just George Floyd
but also Breonna Taylor
and Ahmaud Arbery.
Similar scenes
not only in Minneapolis,
but Denver we saw yesterday.
- New York City.
- Straight to the White House.
4th REPORTER:
This is in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Across four continents.
- From Brazil to Iran.
- In the heart of London.
- In Berlin.
The protests
were largely peaceful.
Being an NBA player
don't exclude me
from no conversations at all.
First and foremost,
I'm a Black man.
And I'm a member
of this community.
It's one thing to make a tweet,
but it's another thing
to actually go out there
and embody what you're...
What you're saying.
The reason that Black people
are in the streets
has to do with the lives
they are forced to lead
in this country.
And they're forced
to lead these lives
by the indifference
and the, um, apathy
and a certain kind of ignorance,
a very willful ignorance,
on the part
of their co-citizens.
At the end of the day, we want
this world to be a safe place.
We want this world
to be a free place.
And we want our kids to grow up
better than we did.
I want
exactly what you want.
And you know what you want.
- What do we want?
- Justice!
- When do we want it?
- Now!
- What do we want?
- Justice!
- When do we want it?
- Now!
This is not
just your fight, okay?
This is everybody's fight.
This should be about,
uh, everyone's against racism.
I got a grandfather that marched
next to Dr. King in the '60s.
And he was amazing, he would
be proud to see us all here.
Louder!
- I can't breathe!
- What?
- I can't breathe!
- What?
- I can't breathe!
- I can't breathe!
I can't breathe!
- I can't breathe!
- I can't breathe!
They're not going to demean
the character of George Floyd.
- That's right. Mm-hmm.
- My twin.
A lot of times,
when police do things
that they know that's wrong,
the first thing they try to do
is cover it up
and bring up your background
to make it seem like
the bullshit that they did
was worthy.
When was m*rder ever worthy?
We are the community
of Black Life Freedom!
These situations with
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor,
um, and... and just the list can
continue to just go on and on.
There definitely has to be
justice for George...
I love this city,
I love these people.
And I'm standing with y'all
on everything
that y'all believe in
and what we believe in,
and we gonna
do it the right way.
People that don't
understand fully right now,
but they're trying
to understand,
and they want to be
a part of change, man,
embrace those people
and teach 'em.
You know what I'm saying?
Don't...
Don't, um, outcast them
because we're no different
than the people who we're trying
to, you know, fight against
and who we're complaining
about if we do that.
We condemn what happened
in Minneapolis.
I took my helmet off,
they laid their batons down.
I want to make this a parade,
not a protest.
It was actually one
of the, um, moments
in... in 2020 where there was
a feeling of great unity.
- I know!
- Change is here!
Change is here!
And, uh, we need
more feelings of great unity,
but we need less things
to be the triggers.
George Floyd! George Floyd!
That changed the world.
Kimberly, I'll just roll camera.
- We'll jump right in.
- Okay, let's go.
All right, let's roll
cameras A and B, and sound.
One second...
My name is Kimberly Jones.
I am a writer/activist.
I am originally from Chicago,
but I've been living
a long time here in A-town.
And yeah, I'm just...
I'm... I'm just here
for the elevation of my people.
This movement that we call
the Black Lives Matter movement
is really the
Black Deaths Matter movement.
Because we haven't begun
to tap into Black lives.
Because if you're talking
about Black lives,
you have to talk
about the living.
Then you have to talk
about health care,
education, home ownership,
equity, mass incarceration.
This is lives.
This is dealing in making sure
there is safety and equity
and equality for Black lives.
We're in the streets every day
fighting for recognition
and justice for Black death.
When they isolate these stories,
it makes it seem like it's not
as severe as it really is.
There's been over 470 murders
at the hands of law enforcement
of Black and Indigenous people
in the last 20 years
in the state of Minnesota.
And they sweep them
under the rug,
and everybody moves on.
And that's what we're big on
in Breonna's case.
Because nobody has been held
accountable
for anything, you know?
So it's just like a real
slap in the face
for a young lady to be k*lled
in her own home and nobody
be held accountable for it.
Oh, Bree... Oh, my God.
I have a relationship
with Emmett Till's family.
His family looked at the
pictures of my son's father,
the way that he was found,
and she's the one that said,
"This is a modern-day lynching.
This reminds me of Emmett Till."
And that is
what these murders are.
My mother... not my grandmother,
not my great-grandmother...
Remembers watching
someone get hung
and still just wants
equality for her grandkids
when she should really want to
burn this bitch to the ground.
The protestors
on the street right now
need to remember
that the citywide curfew
takes effect at 8:00 tonight.
You're not honoring the legacy
of Martin Luther King Jr.
And the civil rights movement.
If you want change in America,
go and register to vote.
Go home.
I'm not one to lose hope.
I keep on hoping.
- Go inside now!
- Get inside!
Get in the house!
The realistic fact is
that we still have
a long, long way to go.
We have many more
difficult days ahead.
Stop f*ring your f*cking g*n!
That dream that I had that day
has at many points
turned into a nightmare.
Why do you burn down
your own neighborhood?
It's not ours!
We don't own anything!
I-I can't express
what a complex time this was.
And-and you're starting
to see all of the elements
of systemic racism
just laid bare.
Tell me
why I'm under arrest, sir.
Why-why am I under arrest, sir?
Uh, our correspondent,
Omar Jimenez,
was also led away in handcuffs,
as was his producer.
I've never seen
anything like this.
And then we walk
into the room and say,
"Hey, you guys want to go back
and play basketball?"
I was definitely skeptical
about a return to action.
Looking at where we were at,
as a nation
and as a country as a whole,
I just felt like it...
It might not be the right thing
to do at that time.
I definitely did think
that us playing
could also play into the part
of us being a distraction.
It could've been used
as an attention-grabber
the other way.
I completely sympathize
with this notion
that, you know...
I'm-I'm not in the mood
for basketball right now.
I'm in the mood to do
something about stopping
these-these crazy
police officers
from sh**ting people
that look like me.
No question but that
that was a legitimate concern.
I think it's two different
perspectives on this as players:
You choose
to not come back and play
because you think
this is silencing us
by playing basketball
and coming down here
and not protesting
and not demanding justice
before basketball.
You don't want to put
your profession before,
uh, what's going on
in the real world.
But then there's a...
There's another group of us,
which is the group I fall into,
um, that thinks
coming down here
with all the light,
with all the visibility on
what we're doing down here
and all the eyes,
we can use our platform
to actually have
a greater purpose.
Sports plays such
a major role in our society.
I think sometimes
it's overlooked.
Continue
to stand with the people
that are being oppressed.
When there's significant change
and I feel like
that flag represents
what it's supposed
to represent, I'll stand.
I feel like understanding that
and using that
to the right capacity
is what sports is
supposed to be about.
You have to understand
that people have to pay
the price for peace.
Wait a minute,
I'm right here, right?
Yes, sir, yes.
Yeah, if you don't mind,
once you sit down with him...
I-I've said on occasions,
I feel fortunate
to have fallen from the tree
of two freedom fighters
that are Chairman Fred Hampton,
also Akua Njeri,
formerly known
as Deborah Johnson.
Um, I'm honored and I'm humbled
to be a Panther cub,
by birth and by battle.
Anyone who believes
that this system,
as police or... or law...
Any form of law enforcement,
whatever,
that they want to stop crime,
you believe Don King
want to stop boxing.
'Cause, reality,
it's an economy.
It's a livelihood based on us
fighting amongst each other.
The Black Panther
Party see the differences
between our people
are reconcilable.
However, differences
between the people
and the state
are irreconcilable.
So there's a difference between
a w*r and a revolution.
A w*r is two occupying armies.
They suit up, and they boot up,
and they get down to get down.
A revolution, on the other hand,
you win the mass...
The participation
of the masses of the people.
I think we should
utilize NBA players,
athletes in general, artists,
get these messages
going on in the community.
I don't think we can afford
the luxury to look
for perfect allies.
We're trying to figure out...
I remember in 1996 or 1997,
um, we defended
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
when he refused to stand
for the national anthem.
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf,
a devout Muslim,
has been suspended by the NBA...
You can't stand for God
and be for oppression.
America is the reason why, uh,
he's making the big bucks,
and, I mean,
he should at least respect that.
You know, it really doesn't
affect anybody else,
so he should be able to do
what he wants to.
I don't like it. I'm a soldier.
But, hey, that's his
personal opinion,
and that's the opinion
that I fight to defend.
People forget that this was
long before Colin Kaepernick.
And the union has always had
a strong commitment
to defending players
who wish to convey a message.
Through the years,
that commitment has evolved
to the point where it is
now off the charts.
We love to play.
Like, we want to play this game,
but at the same time,
you have COVID,
and you have the social
injustice. Should we?
You know, basketball lasts
only but so long.
And these things
that we're dealing with
or our families or our
communities are dealing with
are something we're gonna have
to deal with forever.
At a certain point,
you realize there's
more to life than basketball.
I said, guys, understand that
whether you restart or not,
there's gonna be another
Black man k*lled by the police.
That you can't prevent it
by not playing,
and understand you can't
prevent it by playing.
This is going to happen again.
Then they do what...
what-what adults do.
They say, okay.
Okay, I think
this makes sense. Let's vote.
And we restarted the season.
- McGee: Gigi, where Daddy going?
- Basketball game.
Daddy going
to a basketball game?
For how long?
A long time, huh?
I'm gonna miss you.
It was fun, and now you're
taking it away from us.
I'm excited to go
to Orlando for the bubble,
but I'm not excited to go
to Orlando for the bubble.
I was going to the airport,
literally to go away to be
on a campus for three months
and, at the time, they didn't
tell us if our family was
ever gonna ever be able to come.
But there's one goal
and one goal only.
What goal is that, Gigi?
To win a championship, whoo!
Whoo!
It was a surreal feeling,
but I've been making sacrifices
my whole life.
I-I need to do this
for my family,
and I need to do this
for the organization.
Let's go and win
a championship, baby.
Day one on my trip
to the bubble.
The bubble,
the bubble, the bubble.
CJ McCOLLUM:
You know, me personally,
I voted not to go to the bubble.
I voted no to a lot of stuff.
But if you look
at the rest of the league,
you look at the rest of staff,
the NBA in general,
how many people would have
been affected by the billions
of dollars lost in income,
I think the collective
of guys, they care enough
to do what's best.
How can we actually play
in the bubble?
The bubble doesn't exist.
The bubble has holes.
The bubble bursts
just with one finger.
The initial screening process
was in all the local markets.
That was to hopefully
identify anybody
before they even got on
the plane to come to Orlando.
During that two-week time,
we did identify,
I would say, over 30 players,
that were positive,
in their markets.
Oh, God.
For those that don't know,
part of my job as being a rookie
is getting Chick-Fil-A
for all the players
on the plane.
And even in a state of pandemic
that job still sticks.
- Thank you.
- So all the teams
flew here on a private plane.
All the staff on the
private plane was also tested
so that you knew you had
a clean plane coming in.
We can't dap each other up?
I mean, everybody passed
the test, right?
Can we at least dap
each other up?
All right, I'll give you a dap.
But again,
all it takes is one person,
and, you know, who knows?
The NBA believes
once we get down to Orlando,
in that bubble,
that things will be safe
and that this will work.
I am more optimistic
than I was before
that the NBA will not only
restart its season
but complete its season.
Yeah, welcome back, y'all,
welcome back.
I know you're gonna like it!
Every other row
it was really
spaced out on the bus.
"These seats are closed.
Please do not use."
Say "ah" for me.
I know, nobody likes that one.
That's it, you are
all done, my friend.
- You have a great night now.
- Thank you.
I don't shake hands.
I do this, but thank you.
No, I want to shake your hand.
- What about a hug?
- No, I'm good.
First and foremost,
I want to really just
thank you for the sacrifice
that you're all making.
So we are working
with some of the leading
health experts
in the world to make this
the most safest environment
that we possibly can.
Good job, Nellie.
sh*t, all right, boogies.
I feel like this setup is just
just so amazing, you know?
I did not think they could just
put up this kind of bubble.
Once you got in,
just to add another layer,
we had the players do
another 48 hours of quarantine
- in which they were tested.
- Got your test?
- Yes, ma'am.
- All right.
- Can I place this on your arm?
- Yep.
I feel like this bubble is
the safest place
on Earth right now.
They knew they had to isolate
before they even got here.
They had to go quarantine
before they even got here.
And then once they got here,
they were gonna be asked
to do additional quarantine.
But now we have a clean bubble,
so it was, I-I-I think, done
as well as we could
from the beginning.
Ah, man.
Day one.
Literally going into 48-hour
quarantine right now.
- Hi. Welcome.
- Hello.
- Thank you for being here.
- Thank you.
- Have a good day.
- Yeah, thank you. You too.
Home sweet home.
I made a strong stance,
you know,
by not going into the bubble.
Obviously, you know,
the-the social issue was
a big part of it.
But I personally
have a problem when
the owner of my team is
donating for the reelection
of a president
that's clearly divisive
and anti what I represent.
So, for that, you know,
I think it's
it's bigger than basketball,
and...
And I was excited at first,
you know, to go back, and
being with them,
and, uh, you know, I was...
I was kinda looking forward
to the experience.
It was hard,
you know, obviously,
leaving my teammates behind
and-and deciding not to
not to make it,
but it's-it's one
that I made for my family
and-and for myself.
They're nearing. The testers.
Open the... ah.
I know.
Up.
- You're all set.
- Thank you.
- Breakfast is here.
- McGee: The first 48 hours,
we couldn't leave our rooms,
so it was premade food that
they would leave at our door,
knock on our door and run away.
So we'd open the door,
and they'd be gone already,
and we'd grab our food.
- Sack lunches are here, baby.
- You know what I'm saying?
There ya go,
look, look, there ya go.
Oh, wow. Nope.
Yep, yep, yep, nope.
Yep, yep, oh yeah.
We're professional athletes
and all that, right?
But they be over here crying,
talking about somebody
can't stay healthy,
and their body breaking down,
and all this other...
Just sayin', bro.
We is in Orlando.
It was pretty clear
that if we were going
to ask the players
to be essentially removed
from the world,
we could give them
little to complain about.
But we couldn't cut corners.
I mean, you-you could,
but it wasn't gonna make
for a very happy campus.
Of course, they did find things
to complain about
in the first few weeks,
namely food.
That look like
a g*dd*mn flying saucer.
And then we upped the ante.
Mm, real food,
they weren't playing.
They not playing at all.
Okay, this is my first step
out of quarantine.
Ah, freedom.
- Welcome out.
- It's day one.
Are you ready for school?
We're going to school!
Oh, that's bright.
Feels good
to feel the sun again.
What type of bird is that, bro?
What?!
Ah, nah...
Oh, man.
Hit your MagicBand
whenever you come in or out.
Perfect. Green means go.
- Is that good?
- Yes, sir.
What's up?
A.C.!
They put courts in the ballroom.
A.C., man, no home court
advantage on this court.
Yo, this is crazy.
Hey, stay... whoa, that's...
That's five
and a half feet... oh, sh*t.
It's a good day one, y'all.
Okay, it's real nice in here.
We got stands even though
we can't have no fans.
That don't make sense, but hey.
I've-I've seen worse.
Boy always got his muscles out.
So, we gotta sit this far apart?
- Six feet, yeah.
- This is some bullshit.
I know the players look at it
as a unique experience
and have, you know,
more of that team dynamic
without any distractions
that go on with everyday life.
- One, two, three.
- Defense!
Um, it's allowed teams to,
uh, bond together,
and that's been
a pleasant surprise.
How's the adjustment been,
just overall
your thoughts on life
inside the bubble right now?
This is one of the closest
groups socially
that I've been a part of,
as far as an NBA team.
This is going to be our family
the next three months.
The amenities turned out
to be a big hit.
- Whoa!
- Every now and then,
people air ball,
all right? Shut up.
There was a lot of golf.
Comin' in hot.
Whoa!
Does anyone know
what they're doing?
A lot of fishing.
To Miami!
This boat is stranded.
2020 in a nutshell.
Got a life vest.
I'm too close to home
not to get there.
How many weeks has it been, 12?
Nah, man, it's been two.
It's like, "Oh, all right,
let's go play some Ping-Pong."
Is it true that you're the best.
Ping-Pong player in the bubble?
I haven't lost yet, so yes,
I think I'm the best one.
We go to the pool a lot.
Tacko's swim class.
Those two are trying
to teach me how to swim.
Almost there, bro.
There you go.
- We're going!
- Almost.
What's good?
- You know what today is?
- Taco Tuesday!
On your marks, get set, go!
- Whoo!
- We losing! Too much bacon!
It's not that hard.
It's not that difficult.
You know what I mean, it's...
we're living in a bloody resort.
Whoo!
It still ain't home, but it made
the landing a lot softer.
- Okay!
- Okay.
Tased and arrested,
a Milwaukee Bucks rookie
ended up in jail overnight
after an incident
in a Walgreens parking lot.
Surveillance video shows
at least six police vehicles
surrounding a car.
2nd REPORTER:
Milwaukee police say an officer
was doing a business check here
when they noticed.
Brown's vehicle parked across
two handicapped parking spaces,
which you can't see
on the surveillance footage.
The Milwaukee County
Sheriff's Office
sent us this mugshot of Brown
dated today, January 26th.
2nd REPORTER:
A source says Brown got
into an altercation
with officers,
which led to him being
taken to the ground
and taken to
the Milwaukee County Jail
for resisting an officer.
Now, the Bucks have not told me
whether or not he will face
any disciplinary action
moving forward,
including whether or not
he will suit up tonight.
Delta Five, Scene One,
AV Marker.
It was just supposed to be
a simple ticket home,
but I know this is a reality.
Like, what can I do so this,
you know, doesn't happen?
According to the police report,
the officer asks Brown
repeatedly to step back,
but Brown refuses, becoming,
quote, "very aggressive."
The situation just escalated
from a parking ticket
to, you know, what it was.
"A Taser had to be employed
to get Brown in control
with handcuffs."
They Tased me, arrested me,
and they booked me
for the night.
You know, that... that was that.
Eighteen hours later,
he would play in this game
against the Brooklyn Nets.
He could be seen during warm-ups
with visible bruises
and marks on his face.
I had a solid game,
but I could feel, you know,
a couple guys looking at me
'cause they could see
the-the scars and everything,
my face swollen,
and all of that.
I would say a lot of people
was on the fence.
They thought, you know,
I helped escalate
the situation,
this, that, and the third.
The men and women of the
Milwaukee Police Department
are dedicated
to protecting and serving
the citizens of Milwaukee.
Understand that we have
hundreds of interactions
with citizens each day,
and those contacts
end positively.
You know, my pops being a cop,
like, growing up, I mean
him being a cop, it definitely...
I had respect for him
and some of the guys
that he was cool with
because I seen
what they did once
they put down those uniforms.
They helped the community.
They helped the kids
in the community.
Being a Black kid growing up
in a Black home,
you're taught a lot of things
on how to maneuver life,
you know,
how to behave in public,
how to behave
when you're pulled over,
and I think you...
You consciously think about that
as you go through life.
My dad was a police officer
in the area called May wood.
May wood was predominantly Black.
There were a bunch of
white suburbs all around us.
Especially in the time
that I grew up in Chicago,
it was a very segregated city.
And it was an interesting thing,
I felt safe in May wood.
I felt I could go
anywhere in May wood.
But my dad always told me,
if you leave May wood,
you've gotta be very careful.
Don't make yourself look like
you're about to do anything
or don't cause a scene
because people can look at you
and just think you're
about to go do something
just because you're Black.
Why I was talking to 14-year-old
Black and Brown students
who had already experienced
police brutality.
These kids
ain't graduated high school.
And they already told me
how the safety officers
at their school treat them
and the officers
in their community treat them.
They're children.
How do you feel?
I kind of... I panic sometimes.
Now I'm just trying to pace it
and get the panic off me.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
So I was walking
my dog at night,
and then this police car
drove-drove by.
And they just, like,
flashed a flashlight at me,
and they looked like
they were about to stop.
When they first looked
at me, I just, like,
pulled my hoodie down,
'cause I know that
that's one thing that
they'll, like, think of
if you have your hoodie on
and all that.
So I just tried to, like,
think of reasons
to make them keep going.
McGee: Just culturally,
we don't look at it
as it's racism.
We look at it
as this is how it is.
And we really don't
even realize, like,
every time
I see a cop, I feel...
I get tense,
I get... I get nervous,
and I don't have a drug
or a g*n in my car.
So I should have the same
confidence a white man has.
Do white people even notice
when the police are by them?
Because I stop breathing.
I'm literally like,
let me turn my music down
because I'm in my car
that I'm paying for...
Right.
To make sure
that I don't get sh*t.
My father was a policeman.
He told me one thing.
When the cops stop you,
do what they tell you.
Keep your hands
on that steering wheel
at all times.
When he come to that car,
it's, "Yes, sir. No, sir."
I'd rather, you know,
go file a complaint
than sit there and have
to bury my son or my daughter.
I have a lot of family
in law enforcement,
and I had one who told me,
yeah, there-there's
some crooked cops who,
you know, use the union
to back them.
It intimidates a lot
of other people on the force
that want to do good things.
So I drive slow.
I have LSU Alumni
on the back of my car
because somebody told me once,
you know, if you put your
college on the back of there,
they-they...
they may be more likely
to leave you alone.
'Cause they're like, well,
at least this dude's educated.
You know, after what happened
to me in New York,
um, I-I just have
a different view, I guess,
on the-the judicial system.
They're not doing anything!
- They didn't do nothing!
- They didn't do anything!
NBA forward Thabo Sefolosha
is suing the city of New York
and five of its police officers
following an incident
that landed him
and teammate Pero Antic in jail.
Sefolosha has filed
a civil lawsuit
after suffering a broken fibula
and ligament damage
that caused him
to end his season.
Black people are viewed
as poor, mostly.
You know, I was in a nice
neighborhood in New York City.
Uh... the easy target
at that time was probably me.
If something happened to him,
there's a less likely chance,
you know, that he has a father
with money to pay for a lawyer
or that he has
his own money for a lawyer.
And-and that's, I'm sure,
you know, part of the...
Of the problem.
You faced a series of charges,
but you were offered
a plea deal.
But instead,
you went to trial.
Why didn't you take the deal?
Because it wasn't right.
It wasn't right.
But you risked going to jail.
And that's why we talk about
that systemic problem, you know?
The-the judicial system
shocked me almost more than...
Than what the police officer
did to me in New York,
you know, in the streets.
I was very lucky and fortunate
to be able to fight it,
but a lot of people are not.
And I think it's...
It's really destructing,
uh, a whole community.
One thing I think that has been
very instrumental
in changing things
is the cops have to wear
body cameras.
And it's interesting now
'cause when something
does happen,
we wait for it,
we wait for it, we wait for it.
When-when we hear
that it's questionable,
okay, when's the body cam
video coming out?
- How you doing?
- Got a driver's license?
Can I get another squad here?
Can you explain this to me?
You have an entirely
empty parking lot,
and you parked across two...
I pull... I pulled up,
parked right here.
I was getting out right here.
I-I definitely salute those
who do their job the right way
and, you know,
help out in the community.
You came here by yourself?
But for those
who abuse their power
and try to, you know,
show that they somebody
once they put on
that badge, you know,
you ain't got no respect
from a lot of us.
We do have
some breaking news now.
Police have just released
body cam video
of an altercation
officers had with a member
of the Milwaukee Bucks
basketball team.
2nd REPORTER: That
started with a parking violation.
I was standing there
with my hands in my pockets
the whole time,
the whole 20, 30 minutes.
It was cold outside.
That's when they,
you know, escalated.
Get your hands
out of your pockets now.
Hold on, I got stuff
in my hands,
you want me to drop...
- Come on, man.
- All right, cuff him up.
- Brown was unarmed.
- Somebody got a Taser?
Recordings from
four different body cameras
show officers had
Sterling Brown surrounded
before they took him
to the ground and Tased him.
Taser, Taser, Tase him!
Cuff him up, cuff him up.
The video appears to contradict
an initial police account
that reportedly said.
Brown was uncooperative.
They punchin', they kickin'.
The cop that Tased me,
he drew his g*n at first.
So, if I would've pushed
one of those officers off,
he would've pulled the trigger
and would've been
over with for me.
I wouldn't be here right now,
you know, able to tell my story.
Put your hands behind your back.
They are behind my back.
Mr. Brown,
are you the Bucks player, man?
What you think?
Come on, now. You stepping
on my ankle for what?
What started as one officer
engaging with a Black man
over a routine parking violation
turned violent in an instant.
Defense, you gotta remember
defense out here.
McGee: Gigi, you miss Daddy?
Yeah!
Oh, man, I miss you too.
Gotta call my...
My baby right now.
Let you see that.
Hey, Nola!
Be normal.
Okay, I will be normal,
I will be normal.
I will, see?
What are you doing?
I said be normal!
How you doing, my boy?
- You ready?
- Yeah!
Tsh! Tsh! Tsh!
- Mwah!
- Yeah!
My baby! I love you, baby.
I love you, baby!
It was a test
for Commissioner Adam Silver.
In a statement,
Silver said, "I respect"
"our teams' unified act
of peaceful protest
"for social justice.
A unified front top to bottom."
Stuffs it, and is fouled!
An incredible play!
We've been out of sports
for months.
They're playing without fans.
This is a once in a lifetime,
once in a generation event
that will probably, hopefully,
never happen again.
I'm just as excited as every
NBA fan in the world right now.
The league is publicly
supporting Black Lives Matter.
Players are wearing messages
on their jerseys.
It really resonates.
We're playing for much more
than just a game.
I think it was imperative
that we have something
to remind everyone
that we have not removed
our self from that conversation.
We've seen LeBron James
and several other
current players focus
on voting issues.
Time to get changed.
I don't give a damn what is on
the back of somebody's jersey.
So once that ball went up
and you guys started playing,
how did it feel?
You know, not having a crowd
it's a...
a bit different at times.
Rudy Gobert gets things
started for Utah.
It's, like,
the purity of basketball,
'cause it's just you,
your team, and the court.
Look close, th-there's Weezy
right there,
throw up the deuces.
Can they... the players,
they can't see
those people in the stands,
can they?
They're virtual.
What do you mean
they can't see 'em?
Williamson with that...
Congratulations
on your first win, Zion.
Am I supposed to be looking
at somebody?
You can look at me.
It's been amazing that we've
been able to use the media,
TV, to our advantage of...
Of pushing a message.
We want to make sure that
Daniel Cameron will arrest
the cops involved
with Breonna Taylor's death.
That's really
why we came to play.
That's good, that's gonna be
my answer for every question.
If you come up
and interview me after a game,
you can ask me
whatever you want to,
but I can tell you
whatever I want to tell you.
I think it's a real evolution
of the-the civil rights
movement.
They damned if they do,
damned if they don't,
but at least they're recognizing
that this matters by putting it
on their platform,
which millions of people
are gonna see.
How many times in our lifetime
have we seen symbolic gestures
that have amounted
to close to nothing
in terms of really provoking
a change in this country?
Words create change.
If you don't have the words,
you don't create change...
No, action creates change.
- Whoa!
- This is for the win!
- Got it! Wow!
- What a sh*t.
Wow.
Guys, understand that,
whether you restart or not,
there's gonna be another
Black man k*lled by the police.
It all followed an incident
caught on video,
which appeared
to show police sh**ting
29-year-old Jacob Blake
multiple times in the back.
We're here
standing for my son
because he cannot
stand for himself.
I live because of my family.
I live day to day
because of my children.
With no family,
I would have no meaning.
They are my meaning
and my purpose.
They sh*t my son
s-seven times.
Seven times.
Like he didn't matter.
But my son matters.
We are angry as hell,
and everybody should know it.
And it shouldn't have
to be polite,
and you shouldn't be able
to play me like
the angry Black guy
when my nephew was sh*t
seven times in the back.
One, two, three,
four, five, six, and seven?
That's my neighbor. He asked me
if my son could come
to his son's birthday party.
He-he had presents
in both his hands.
I couldn't even cry.
I couldn't cry.
Black Lives Matter!
Black Lives Matter!
They desensitized us.
So by the time
it got to my brother's video,
it was like, oh...
I'm not exempt.
It's become such a weekly event,
it-it's almost numbing.
Here we go again.
Here we go again.
I can't make sense
of it anymore,
and I had been watching
every single video
that is posted.
I wish I could stop doing that
because it is making me angry
and sad and hopeless.
Hey, she's down
at the end of the hall.
I'm supposed to
stand still.
I'm supposed to behave
a certain way,
but everything inside
of me tells me to flee.
No... don't you do it!
Don't you do it!
Less than a foot and a half
from three kids on the other
side of the door.
Man, give me a break,
cuz, please.
Take your time, man.
It's real emotion.
Like, it's real emotion,
and, um
it's hard to know what to say.
If you were trained
to see people,
generation after generation,
as property and a nuisance
that's what the world
was trained to see us as.
First property,
and then a nuisance.
How can you empathize
with those people?
You don't.
Look at the headlines.
That child, Kyle Rittenhouse,
was written as a troubled child.
Trayvon Martin
was written as a thug.
The white boy
who sh*t them kids... dead?
That was at the gas station
a block from here.
As the crowd scattered,
the man walked through
the middle of the street
with his hands up
as police arrived.
Though officers did not
challenge or apprehend him.
He crossed state lines
with a m*llitary-style w*apon.
He went home.
If a Black man sh*t anybody,
went across state lines,
they would have a task force
kicking down the door
bringing him back to justice.
That's how you know
something wrong
when people willing
to destroy where they live at.
That's how you know
something wrong.
They gave the white boy
$2 million
to help fund his case.
JACOB BLAKE, SR.: I've
been getting death threats since
the first week I said something
at the news conference.
Hundred and twenty-two.
And all I did was
tell the world my son's
a human being.
We was brought here
when we ain't want to be here.
One of the news guys said,
"Well, why don't you go back?"
Go back where, m*therf*cker?
Like, really, we the only race
in the United States
do not know
where the f*ck we came from.
The only race that don't know
where we came from.
Speaking of the devil.
Don't look at me.
I live here.
This my neighborhood.
sh*t terrifying.
See, and they find
the sh*t funny.
Just do your job. Don't do me.
BLAKE, SR.:
At what particular time
are we supposed to say
enough is enough?
At what time in the revolution
is that gonna be acceptable?
Or are you still
gonna be fearful of me
to k*ll me before
I can explain to you
why you don't need
to be fearful of me?
We all tired of just
seeing the same thing
over and over again.
It's amazing to me
why we keep loving this country
and this country
does not love us back.
You know, it's, uh,
it's getting to a point
where people are getting tired
and fed up, man. For real.
- Go right here?
- Yes.
We... we're going to place
a statement as a team today
and go back and continue
to educate our self
and get better awareness
of what's going on.
And then we're gonna speak
to you guys later, so...
We're gonna read
the statement now.
All right,
the team statement, um,
"The past four months
have shed a light
"on the ongoing
racial injustices
"facing our
African American community.
"Citizens around the country
"have used their voices
and platforms
"to speak out against
these wrongdoings.
"Over the last few days
in our home state of Wisconsin,
"we've seen the horrendous
video of Jacob Blake
"being sh*t in the back
seven times
"by a police officer in Kenosha.
"Despite the overwhelming
plea for change,
"there has been no action.
So our focus today
cannot be on basketball."
The players decided
we needed to take a breath.
It's not lost to me,
the same breath that
George Floyd
was not allowed to take.
Our players decided
we're taking one.
George Hill ignited it.
Sterling got the fire hotter.
The Milwaukee Bucks literally
decided just before
they went out.
That's how quickly it evolved.
When the game stopped,
everyone was having
a hard time processing
everything that was going on.
I was shocked.
I was shocked, you know?
I was... I totally understood
right away why they would do it.
We, like, had a game that night,
so we was getting
our minds right.
I think I woke up from a nap,
somebody knocking on my door,
like, yo, the Bucks not playing.
Even though it was right before
the game, I can see, boom.
Russell Westbrook
and Chris Paul.
Here they are leaving.
Now, the reason
why this is important is
Chris Paul is
the president of the NBPA.
Chris called me and said,
"No one's playing."
I think that was the same night
we had the first meeting.
I think it was the same night.
These-these days
are just blurring.
There are times where
you know the best thing to do
is keep the peace,
keep your head down.
And there are times where
you're called to do something.
Not playing a game, I mean,
it seemed like
a grain of sand on the beach.
But, you know,
sometimes a grain of sand
can do a lot of damage
when it multiplies.
And, uh, it-it sparked
something huge.
Tonight, the NBA postponing
all three playoff games.
An extraordinary move
which was then
followed by the WNBA.
MLB, NFL, soccer,
everybody stopped playing.
Take a look
at tennis, Naomi Osaka,
she will also be boycotting
in her semifinal match.
Man, I'm sure back here
in the bubble, they're like,
oh wow, we...
People are listening.
We stand in solidarity
with our brothers in the NBA
and will continue
this conversation
and look to take
collective action.
This was a different
level of protest,
a different level of resistance
than we've ever seen.
LeBron JAMES: We are scared
as Black people in America.
We are... We are terrified.
How many times
in a Black man's life,
in my life, have I been told,
"Oh, not right now,
now is not the time"?
The right time is now.
It's always now.
Black men have the power
to end almost every
professional sports league
in the country right now
if they wanted to.
I think it's best for me
to support the players
and just not be here tonight.
I don't agree
with entertaining people
who are feeding into my demise.
Some players were mad.
I said, "Your anger's
in the wrong place."
I said, "The biggest thing
we have to do"
"is figure out
what we want to do.
"And listen,
the Bucks didn't put you here.
"The cops put you here.
All right? Racism put you here."
Give us your own definition
of systematic racism.
"What's systematic racism"?
Just to be frank and honest,
I always thought saying,
you know, I didn't...
I don't see color, like,
I see all of us as equal
was a positive thing.
I had a few
of my teammates say, "No",
"I want you to see
the color in me.
"I want you
to see the color in me
and still treat me
the same way."
I don't even know
what systemic racism is.
I just started hearing that
probably, like,
two, three years ago.
Racism to me is
just racism, period.
I never even checked
the definition of it.
I come from, like,
direct racism where people,
like, hate you for you.
Hate you for, like,
the way you look,
the way you walk,
the way you dress,
the way you...
Whatever you represent.
The way that we are taught
to think about racism
is it's just about
someone's bad feelings.
Does someone like me or not?
That's frankly irrelevant.
Racism has always been about
economic exploitation and power.
sl*very was a system
of economic exploitation.
It was turning people
into property
in order to be able to extract
as much profit as you could
from their bodies.
The racism came
in order to justify
the economic exploitation,
not the reverse.
Believe that sl*very
put a curse on us somehow.
Well, it is a curse.
You know?
Um, the American sense
of reality is dictated
by what Americans are
trying to avoid.
And if you're trying to avoid
reality, how can you face it?
I've had a lot of things
that have happened
to me in my life.
Skinheads came in
and b*rned my house down,
uh, because
I was interracially married.
Locked my animals
in a closet on purpose,
uh, and my house was
b*rned down to the ground,
for one reason: Because
of the color of my skin.
There's a lot of stereotypes
around Black men.
We can't control ourselves.
We are angry,
aggressive, or violent.
We don't care about, you know,
our own kids or our community.
The most successful
marketing tool ever created
was to make you fear
Black people
because that's how you keep
the white supremacy in place,
and that's how you keep
the economic advancement
in place
for one group of people.
Think about that.
If you give anybody
a 200-point lead
to start... to start the game
and then tell me, okay, guys,
now the game is gonna be equal,
well, no,
the game's not gonna be equal.
They're up 200.
They're gonna be in front,
generational wealth,
and then generational poverty
is created.
How can you win?
The game is fixed.
How can you win the game
that actually still has
laws on the books
that are designed
to make sure you don't win?
That's why you have to look
at instances like Tulsa.
These are places where people
built Black economic wealth,
and they utilized
the marketing plan
to make you fear
that crazy r*pist Black man
in order to make sure
that the economic structure
stayed in place.
In Greenwood, the neighborhood
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
that was Black-ran
from top to bottom,
Black dollars went 36 times
before they left the community.
That legacy deserves to live.
And if we don't start
to take money seriously,
we're going to repeatedly
be denied that.
The systematic oppression
has been put in place for us
not to have group economics.
The African American community
has the, you know,
most powerful spending dollar.
You know, we spend the most
money on consumer products, um,
but if you dive a little deeper,
we have the least recycled
dollar within our community.
You know, when you talk about
recycling your money
within your own community,
that's what helps
to build proper schools.
That's what's going to get
people to vote.
That's what's gonna raise
the value of the properties.
That's when you talk
about ownership
and investing in yourself.
I think what we're really
talking about in this country
is economic development
of Black people,
because I've found that...
Economic development
of all people.
Well, we're talking about
underprivileged people...
How come just Black people?
How come you only want
to do it for Black people?
How come you don't want to
do it for white people?
Well, I'll-I'll tell you why.
I'll tell you why.
Huh? How come you won't
do it for everybody?
How come it's always
Black people?
Why don't you talk
about all people?
Can I give you an answer?
Please.
We were founded
on the ideals of freedom
and the practice of sl*very.
And our inability to deal
with that hypocrisy
is why we saw a Black man
get lynched
on national television
and why Black Americans have
continued to take
to the streets for centuries.
- Her name?
- Breonna Taylor!
- What's his name?
- Jacob Blake!
- What's his name?
- Jacob Blake!
- What's his name?
- Jacob Blake!
- No justice!
- No peace!
We got a top secret meeting.
I think that,
if the Milwaukee Bucks
stood alone,
it would've been absolutely,
positively disastrous,
but the fact that
they've all come together
collectively, I think,
speaks profoundly
about what's transpired.
So they had the first meeting.
That was the largest
player meeting I-I've attended.
Never have we had
the opportunity to say,
all right, everybody is here.
I want the Lakers
in this corner.
I want the Raptors
in this corner.
The meetings were serious.
Like, literally,
every team was there.
It wasn't about the Heat
or the Celtics or the Lakers
or the Mavericks,
or none of that.
It was just about being
on the right side of this sh*t.
That was a long night.
And as a coach,
I gotta tell you,
I-I knew the bubble was hard,
but I didn't appreciate
how hard the bubble was
until that night.
Guys are pouring out
their feelings.
And that's when the buzz began.
You know, what are we...
What are we doing here?
What's the point?
They're still k*lling us.
You know,
what are we doing here?
And that, like everything,
would bring a level of anxiety
because it's the unknown,
and we're not certain.
And I think, in times of crisis,
that's when you really see
what you have
and what you're made out of.
New and interesting insight
from what happened
today in Orlando,
and even this evening,
as the players
are talking about potentially
not just not playing Thursday
but ending the playoffs
altogether, here in 2020.
The league is bleeding money
every day that they're there,
and especially
every day that they're there
and not playing games.
I said, "Excuse me",
"you don't finish this season,
"that multibillion-dollar deal
you agreed to
is null and void."
Players Association, I'm told,
laid out for the players
the financial implications.
I'm going to have to describe
to the players
the financial impact
of our not playing
for the remainder
of the playoffs.
I did it.
And if there was a hook,
they would have pulled me
off of the stage.
Um, this was about
so much more than money.
When these players
contemplated
canceling play in the bubble,
it empowers the owner to rip up
the collective bargaining
agreement,
take into account
the money already lost
because of the pandemic,
project the money
that will be lost in the future
because of the pandemic,
your role in compromising
their bottom line,
and then they get to come
to you and say,
"Well, you know what?
You were making 35 million,
now let's drop that to 20."
Guaranteed lockout,
if they go into it.
And, yeah, LeBron can
take that time off, but can
can the 12th person on the bench
afford to take that time off?
Not only just the players;
We're talking about the staff.
We're talking
about all these people
that could be affected.
Again, uh, we were faced
with this great decision of,
should we play,
or shouldn't we play?
Understanding how
each person felt was important,
and then trying
to figure out, you know,
where we go from there.
It was contentious.
It was respectful.
I described it
as democracy in action.
We don't want to be here,
just throwing some T-shirts
and think that's
getting the job done.
These players decided
to make a difference,
but what are they willing to
give up to make that difference?
Families argue all the time.
I mean, everybody's
got a crazy uncle.
It's no different,
Black or white.
Families are-are a mess.
You have the opportunity
to make a change
that you might not
ever get again.
Don't let it go.
One of our more senior players,
I love him to death,
and I won't call his name...
Yes, I will, Udonis...
Being very, very, uh... candid.
It was a lot of over here,
it was a lot of over there,
it was a lot of back here,
it was a lot of front here.
It was a lot of whispering,
crying, whining, complaining.
And at the end of the day,
if we're not together,
then what was the point
of coming here?
Um, what was the point
of any of this?
I love the fact that
everyone wasn't together.
There's so many different ways
you can go with this.
We're trying to find a mess...
Like, a singular message.
What am I really willing to do?
Because being willing
to do something means
I have to plot,
plan, strategize,
organize, and mobilize.
And that's what
those players did... stepped up.
What is the mission or the goal?
What actions are we gonna take?
What are our contingencies?
Maybe you could go up
on Capitol Hill,
bring lobbyists with you
to push for your causes
to be addressed.
You don't pull that off
if your answer is
to walk off the basketball court
and alienate the very people
that have the power to help you.
People will come at you
left and right,
you do your homework,
you talk about anything,
'cause at the end of the day,
whatever you say anyway,
somebody's gonna have
something to say about it.
Your reaction, sir,
to the NBA protest yesterday,
against another sh**ting
of a Black man by police?
I think people are
a little tired of the NBA,
frankly, uh, but I don't know
too much about the protest.
But I know their ratings
have been very bad,
and that's too...
That's unfortunate.
They've become like
a political organization,
and that's not a good thing.
I don't think that's
a good thing for sports
or for the country.
I'd get the phone calls
that come into
our general hotline, uh,
with outraged fans saying
they're burning jerseys, um,
and never watching
basketball again
because it's insane
for millionaire players
to be embracing
a Marxist organization.
Sports has always been vocal.
Now, it might have hit a gap
to where, you know,
certain generations
or whatever didn't,
you know, speak up as much
as they, uh, should've.
But, you know, back in the day
when Kareem was, you know,
still young, and you seen it
with Muhammad Ali,
and a lot of guys,
they were vocal
on these social justice issues
and, you know, just
the Black everyday life issues.
Oh, he's down
from that right hand!
I don't know
if he's gonna make this one.
He used to be named
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.
And his business was
prizefighting.
As a fighter, he became,
in my opinion
and certainly in his own,
the greatest.
At the age of 25 now, he
calls himself Muhammad Ali,
and he's unemployed
as a fighter.
His title is gone,
ripped away by various
boxing commissions,
in the name of patriotism.
There have been
many questions put to me
why I refuse to be inducted
into the United States Army.
He lost the sport he loved
to keep fighting
for not just himself
but fighting
for the people
who don't have voices.
When one man of popularity
can let the world know
the problem,
he can... he might lose
a few dollars himself
telling the truth,
might lose his life,
but he's helping millions.
But if I kept my mouth shut
just because
I can make millions, and then
this ain't doing nothing,
so I just love the freedom
and the flesh and blood
of my people
more so than I do the money.
- What'd they do to him?
- Shut off his voice,
and they've been telling us
to shut up and... and dribble
because they don't want
to hear us talk.
And you gotta recognize
the fact that
people who are not on your side
and are against you
and are looking to compromise
everything you bring
to the table
look at things that way.
They looked at it as players
not minding their business.
They didn't get it.
I'm going to say
something very clear
to all of the athletes
out there.
We are interested in you
entertaining us, period.
We don't care
about your opinions.
Shut up and dribble.
You won't even stand up
for me in America
for my religious beliefs,
and you want me
to go somewhere and fight,
but you won't even
stand up for me here at home.
Well, guess what, m*therf*cker.
I watched the NBA for years.
You won't get that g*dd*mn
money no more. I promise.
They're throwing balls
around on a court,
but it's entertainment, right?
They're not doing anything
worthwhile for the world.
Trying to spread a false message
about police brutality.
Black people are not
getting hunted
by the police in this country.
People go to sports as a refuge
from things like politics,
so why would you throw it
in the face of viewers?
Like, what is the point of that?
They have made it clear to us
that they hate this country.
Suppose every American...
Mr. Brown, suppose
every American had decided
that they were not gonna
put on the uniform
of their country
and not fight for us.
You know, everyone...
Especially every Black person...
Knows that every time
you expose your pain,
that comes at a cost, too.
Obviously, America is
a terrible, horrible place
where you get to earn millions
of dollars for playing
- a child's game.
- How are you doing?
In front of adoring audiences.
He's un-American,
and he doesn't deserve
to be in our country.
- All white... all lives matter.
- So that's...
He's really
a sad, pathetic person.
I find nothing amusing
or interesting
or tolerable about this man.
He's a simplistic fool
and a pawn.
He's a disgrace
to his country, his race,
and what he laughingly describes
as his profession.
Michael Jordan,
the only Black majority owner
in the NBA, has become
a type of peace broker,
a voice of reason between
players and team ownership.
He's urging
other owners to listen.
It's a one-word answer
that Chris and Andre
are looking for.
All right? You're coming
out of this huddle,
and you're either in
or you're out.
I was told that
the Lakers, the Clippers,
they were willing to end
the season.
LeBron left,
and his people left with him.
To make a decision
of that type of magnitude
in about five or six hours
is damn near impossible.
We're not playing until
we get these benchmarks,
uh, accomplished.
But it... even at that moment,
I could tell
this was not the end.
A board of governors meeting
set for 11:00 a.m.
tomorrow morning,
to get the owners talking
and trying to...
Trying to figure out a way,
is there...
Can we still salvage this season
and move forward?
The next day, they got together.
And there was a plan.
You saw raw emotion at the top,
at the beginning, and then
all of a sudden,
there was a calm.
But whatever we do,
we gonna be together,
just know that.
Then Chris and Andre
announced...
We can have just as much
leverage doing both,
you know, playing and speaking.
And are we all gonna play?
And Chris and Andre said,
"Yes, we are.
We are all going to play."
And everyone looked over
at the Lakers and
we all played.
If we're really gonna make
a statement here,
if we're really gonna
say we're fed up
about what's happening
in our country,
if we're really gonna say
we're not gonna be
your form of entertainment,
then you gotta stop playing
basketball, period.
That every time
I turn on a basketball game,
I have to get
a political commentary
from somebody who's spent
five minutes studying the issue.
You know, everybody
in the Black community
was not proud with Muhammad Ali.
Because they said,
hold on, wait a minute, bro,
oh, just 'cause you can box?
I had to go over there.
They drafted me.
What makes you better than me?
For these guys
to be in the bubble,
taken away from their kids,
their family,
and then also looked to
to change the world.
It's never gonna be as simple
as, if we stop playing,
they're gonna stop k*lling us.
It's not that.
So... great.
When I seen it,
I was really proud of them.
But I-I'm like...
I was like, cool.
This is good. It's a good start.
But how long is it gonna last?
If you don't do something
exactly the way
folks think you should do it,
they measure your approach
before they even know
the results.
We didn't want to just
have one moment thing
and then everything
just go away.
We talked about it. We said,
if we are gonna go play,
then it has to be
bigger than a game.
The players decided
that we were going to present
short-term
and long-term initiatives.
We had to show
that we were making
a real immediate impact
and also that there would be
some lasting change.
We continue to follow
news from the NBA
after players boycotted
playoff games
over the police sh**ting
of Jacob Blake.
The league now agreeing
to work with them
on social reforms;
Basketball arenas will be
converted into voting locations
to allow for safe, in-person
voting on Election Day.
We started our
Social Justice Coalition, right?
Which is more powerful
than any name
on any jersey will ever be.
Focusing on civic engagement
and police
and criminal justice reform.
2nd REPORTER: While
the league will also promote
voting information through
advertising during the playoffs.
A lot of people are saying
this is not
a moment, this is a movement.
Back on the court,
but with a promise.
Our criminal justice
complex needs reform,
but how can the NBA be involved
from a policy standpoint?
3rd REPORTER:
Calling on the U.S. Senate
to finally pass the George Floyd
Justice in Policing Act.
The players specifically
had the leverage
to have pushed for legislation
on the local, state,
and federal level.
I wish we... we could have
dove a little bit deeper in,
but that, you know,
we-we are where we are.
Players are doing their part,
but they said
in a letter to Adam Silver
that it should not be
the sole responsibility
of the Black people,
the Black players
that are hurting,
to be the voices of this.
People pass a lot of judgment
about what we should do
or what we shouldn't do.
But I give our guys
a lot of credit,
because they've been
doing a hell of a job.
A hell of a job
down here performing
and speaking on the different
social injustice
that's going on
day in and day out
while trying to be, uh,
a great athlete,
while trying to be
a great husband,
while trying
to be a great father.
Felt like these dudes was trying
to solve the world's problems
and... and put the whole weight
on the world on their back,
and that's not possible, man.
They're not gonna
solve the world,
but you could incrementally
make it a better place.
There's always more
you can be doing,
but if everyone does a little,
no one has to do a lot.
McGee: I'm literally
about to take a nap,
and I forgot...
I gotta take a COVID test, man.
g*dd*mn.
Perfect. I'm sorry.
g*dd*mn.
Waking up every morning
realizing,
oh, you're still here.
It takes me about 15 minutes
to say, okay, stop it.
You know, you got your health,
you're good, you know, get up.
That first ten minutes is like,
is this ever gonna end?
I just... I just need
to get the hell out of here.
Can you talk about
what you meant
by being in a dark place?
It was just
a little bit of everything.
Um... you know, I
underestimated
mental health, honestly.
I definitely take
a-a call once a week
with my, uh,
with my therapist now.
And, um, you know,
sometimes there's really
nothing to talk about 'cause
there's not much going on,
but it's still
just an opportunity,
um, to have an outlet.
How does this thing work?
Oh, there we go.
My dad sent selfies!
Of himself!
For a lot of people,
for myself especially,
through the pandemic
and the isolation of everything,
the thing that helped me
the most get through it
was having family,
even if it was distance.
I was texting the whole family!
I'm talking the entire
Thybulle clan, man!
My phone is buzzing!
And many more!
My fiance, we should have
been married in June,
but that got pushed back.
Now, I got my...
My first kid on the way.
So, any day now and any-any...
Any hour now,
I might get a call.
A lot of friends
were like, well,
this is not a great time
to have a... to have a baby.
And I was like, you know,
I'm always gonna
remember my first baby
was born in a...
A world pandemic.
McGee:
Some people have come to visit.
I wonder who it could be.
Oh, there she is!
Hello, Gigi.
- Again!
- You want to go again?
- Yeah.
- Go ahead.
She's growing so fast,
so I-I did miss, like, at least
an inch and a half
of her growth.
You got your hair braided...
You got your hair braided, girl?
- Yeah.
- Yeah, I gotta have a kiss.
Okay, mwah.
You just definitely
can't take it for granted.
The more we win, the longer
we stay, uh, but it's all
worth it in the end
because the...
It's an unbelievably
satisfying feeling
to be able to be successful
and to be able to provide
for your family,
do things for your family.
- There she is.
- Hey.
My lovely new fiance.
There's still a long ways
to go, but we've come
a long ways since
before I was born
to here now,
and I've been lucky,
and I'm blessed to be
a part of this
and be able to play
and have the freedoms
I have now because
of the people before me.
So I'm just trying
to embrace that and trying
to do the same thing
for my future
generation of kids,
of grandkids, great-grandkids.
I mean, it's a sacrifice,
but so many more people
have had to sacrifice so much
more, uh, during this crisis.
We are so close to the end,
but some of the players...
I mean, even when they have
disappointing losses
in... in their games,
the first thing they'll say is,
"At least I can go home."
Ready to go home?
Happy to go home?
Little bit happy to go home,
be back in my own bed.
At least I can go home.
Playoff time.
Win on three!
One, two, three, win!
And we are underway
in the Orlando bubble.
Jamal Murray
with a stroke of genius!
That'll do it.
The Boston Celtics move on
by defeating the 76ers.
Back to Philly we go.
They still need to score
even if Gallinari
makes the bucket here...
And ball game over!
Missed the layup! Gobert got it!
Mitchell hanging
at the other end!
Two seconds to go!
They were that close.
Utah, 78!
Nuggets, 80!
Everybody leaving, huh?
Is that it? They leaving?
As the Boston Celtics
will now leave the bubble.
All right.
The best team
in the NBA,
the Milwaukee Bucks, lose!
So long from Orlando!
Trying to disrupt Rondo,
he puts it in.
Here's Davis,
for three and the win.
Oh, it's good!
The Lakers are headed back
to the NBA Finals.
We are the last ones
in the bubble. That's crazy.
I don't know.
I think I was pretty lucky
to enter the league when I did.
Even though there were
so many bad things happening
between the pandemic
and the riots
and the protests.
And to now be a part of the NBA
that embodied so much more
than basketball,
I think it's gonna
be a huge part
of how I consider my legacy
or my mark on this game.
And to just be a part
of the good that came of it.
This is too much.
My God, you got...
This is your home, man,
this is where you belong,
this is it.
There's no... I've gotta go
cancel all my plans.
It's entirely too early
to be thinking about this
or even trying to talk about it,
but it just feels like
I need to be doing something
that's contributing to help,
not just contributing
to distract and entertain.
Oh, and quick question.
Are you registered to vote yet?
The moment we leave this bubble,
we have a month
before the election,
less than a month.
We got the polling
stations open,
but our players
have to go out to these polls.
This is one of those states
that's a turning state.
Um, this can make
or break the election.
One of their goals
was to increase access
to voting locations
during the pandemic.
Pro sports team owners agreed.
Forcing these owners
to become part of their
communities and saying,
you're gonna open up
these stadiums, uh, for voting.
We're not gonna see
those long lines of people
not able to vote
in the middle of COVID.
That type of activism
did bear fruit.
Something we've never
seen before, which was
allowed a lot of people
who had never voted to vote.
You know, we knew how important
that election was.
Um, obviously.
We want all voting to stop.
We don't want them to find
any ballots
at 4:00 in the morning.
Americans already casting
ballots in record numbers.
70% of all
the votes cast in 2016.
Big turnout from Black voters.
The voter turnout
expected to break records.
Stop the count! Stop the count!
Stop the count!
McGee: Coach?
- What up, 'Vale?
- I see you getting clean.
Oh, you know you gotta get
fresh for that national TV.
That's true. That's true.
Dad, you strong.
Am I strong enough?
Yeah.
Who's the strongest
man in the world?
You.
Okay, just making sure you know.
We've been locked in
all season on one goal.
And we knew
what we needed to do.
Uh, they know that
what they're a part of
is something really historic,
and if they can
successfully finish this,
right, if they can finish this,
who doesn't want to be
a part of that?
Need to go, guys, need to go.
Bring it in.
Mamba on three...
One, two, three.
Mamba!
From the moment they arrived in
the bubble,
over the course of 96 days,
not to have a single
positive test...
What they pulled off,
I think it saved sports.
Saved it.
Overall... not just the league
itself, all of sports.
And that's it, it's over.
This historic 2020
NBA championship
belongs to
the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers conquer the bubble,
and banner number 17...
LeBron JAMES:
As the NBA, as the NBPA,
all our players,
everybody had a voice
on what's going on in America.
So, uh, we know we want to...
we all want to see better days.
Um, and when we leave here,
we gotta continue to push that.
Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah!
- Yeah!
- Purple and gold! Yeah!
Four! Don't talk to me...
Close the door over here,
man, because
I'm about to get noisy...
Yeah! Let's go!
Something good in 2020.
I'm gonna
low-key miss it, though.
It's a weird thing to say.
I hated it, I hated the bubble,
but I'm gonna miss it.
It's part of the story, man.
Crazy, man.
True blessings.
We're going home.
Uh, you know, we're going home.
There are the Lakers,
coming down the steps.
We free! We free!
I'm sure they're fatigued.
I-I know they're tired.
They want to go home.
They want to be around
their family, their kids,
their homeys, everybody,
and try to get back to normal,
but I hope they don't leave
the fight in the bubble.
- No justice!
- No peace!
- No justice!
- No peace!
No justice!
- No peace!
- No justice!
No peace!
No justice!
No peace!
No justice!
No peace!
- No justice!
- No peace!
No justice!
No peace!
- No justice!
- No peace!
And so, all eyes
are on Minneapolis.
We now have...
Accountability is something
we need as people
to feel, uh, confident
in the justice system.
George Floyd!
- George Floyd!
- Say his name.
- George Floyd!
- Say his name.
George Floyd!
- Say his name.
- George Floyd!
Accountability is just about
that one individual case.
Justice is when we change...
Transform this whole system,
so that we can get democracy
like everybody else.
Justice for all.
Equality for all.
If we do that, we're good.
As we speak, a jury has decided
the fate of Derek Chauvin
in his m*rder trial.
As far as the cops, we're not
finna keep taking these hits
that they... no, uh...
no type of, you know,
repercussions or consequences
coming their way.
- I am!
- I am!
- Somebody! I am!
- Somebody!
Malcolm X said,
if somebody stabs you
and you pull the Kn*fe out,
he says, it's not quite justice.
You clean the wound,
then you have justice.
Now we got about
a couple minutes
before the verdict
gets read, okay?
We gonna stick together,
and we ain't gonna stop
until we get change.
And people say
Derek Chauvin's on trial?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
The U.S. Constitution
is on trial.
You can't even get past
"We the People."
We need to go back
to "We the People"...
And then get to the rest.
Derek Chauvin,
and we know people are
waiting anxiously
to hear that verdict.
All rise for the jury.
Members of the jury,
I will now read the verdicts
as they will appear
in the permanent records
of the Fourth Judicial District.
State of Minnesota,
County of Hennepin,
District Court,
Fourth Judicial District.
State of Minnesota,
Plaintiff, versus
Derek Michael Chauvin,
Defendant.
Verdict, Count One,
Court File Number
27-CR-20-12646.
We, the jury,
in the above-entitled matter,
as to Count One...
Guilty!
Thank you!
Guilty!
Guilty on all three counts.
Guilty, second-degree m*rder.
Guilty, third-degree m*rder.
Guilty, second-degree
manslaughter.
You saw the former
police officer there,
Derek Chauvin, handcuffed,
he's going back into jail...
Guilty on all three counts.
- All three counts!
- All three counts!
All three counts!
All three counts!
One down, all the rest
of the bad ones to go, man.
Amazing.
The whole world should not
have to rally to get justice
for one man.
- But that's what happened.
- Amen.
This wasn't a city case,
this wasn't one family's case.
This was the entire
world's case.
I believe in small victories,
and I think that
we as a collective
have a lot of power.
They didn't do the right thing
because it was
the right thing to do.
Because if that was true,
they would have done it
for the rest of our families.
We had to force their hand.
- Chauvin! Chauvin!
- Guilty! Guilty!
- Chauvin!
- Guilty!
BLAKE, SR.: And we're not
going and asking for anything.
We're demanding.
You know, we're not asking
for our place at the table.
We're kicking in the door
and we're sitting down.
Somebody gotta get up.
Somebody's gotta get up.
I don't think you can dismantle
a 400-year system in 40 days,
in four years,
in 40 years, right?
And I... and I think it's
an insult to our ancestors
to say that much hasn't changed.
Much has changed.
In the past, there's identified
leaders that we've had.
Our leaders had been
taken from us,
and I think that has kind of
maybe slowed movements down
or stifled them.
You don't change a country
that was founded
on sl*very
and anti-blackness overnight.
But certainly, if you don't have
high-profile people
like athletes
bringing attention to it,
it's not going to change.
There are other athletes
and other Black leaders,
period, who are using
their positions
of power and influence to wield
some practical progress.
We are looking out
for the best interests
of Black people as a whole
in this country.
I look at the African American
being oppressed in this country,
and I don't stand for that.
There is a lot of things
that need to change.
The fact that
it has blown up like this,
I think is a good thing.
On helping change
the culture of a sport
and the course of our nation.
For his lifetime of achievement
and for his principled
service to mankind,
the United States honors
Muhammad Ali.
A lot of times, the critique
on today's generation
is there is
a lack of leadership.
Um, in this generation,
there's not really
too many people that
you can singularly identify
as the leader
of these movements.
The fact that everybody
is a part of it,
it's harder to pinpoint
exactly where all
this energy is coming from.
And I think there's
some brilliance behind that.
We had some strong leaders
through our generations,
but it was only the best players
that had a microphone.
Now, all the players have
a microphone,
and they're using it.
- No justice!
- No peace!
- No justice!
- No peace!
I think it shook
a lot of people's idea
of what the NBA was,
what, like, entertainers are,
what athletes are.
And I think it gave us
a better sense of
what we are capable of when
we all kinda come together.
McGee: Yeah, we're in competition
once we cross those lines
and we get on the court.
But just as brothers,
we all came together
and-and really focused on
just having each other's backs.
I'm just glad
I got to be a part of it
in at least a minuscule way.
I had to speak up at the time.
Really, that's that.
I'm not, you know,
a revolutionary
or nothing like that,
but I am a voice
for the have-nots because
that's where I come from.
I have to try to be
a part of the change.
Even though, if I don't
get an opportunity
to see it fully,
then my kids understand it.
That's the whole play.
Sports is important in America
for the same reason that sport
is important in the world.
It does bring people together.
You know, you're in the stadium,
and it doesn't matter
what the person next to you
does for a living, what the
person next to you's race is,
you're all cheering
on the same side.
But that's a superficial unity.
It is not enough to sit here
and cheer together.
Are we gonna go
out of the stadium
and actually live together?
I am a son.
I am a friend.
I am a student.
And I am an activist.
Game Change Game (2022)
Moderator: Maskath3
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