Gregg Popovich has never been one to stay silent on issues he feels strongly about. He's been highly critical of President Donald Trump, even calling him a "soulless coward" during one interview. He's also spoken at length about the social problems facing the country, noting that the only way things are going to get better is if we confront the problems and discuss them, even if it makes people uncomfortable.
It should come as no surprise, then, that when asked about the NBA's celebration of Black History Month, Popovich gave a thoughtful response. Before the San Antonio Spurs' game on Monday against the Utah Jazz, Popovich said he was proud of the league for supporting BHM, and said it was important to do so even if it makes some people upset. Via ESPN:
"I think it's pretty obvious," Popovich said. "The league is made up of a lot of black guys. To honor [Black History Month] and understand it is pretty simplistic. How would you ignore that? But more importantly, we live in a racist country that hasn't figured it out yet. And it's always important to bring attention to it, even if it angers some people. The point is that you have to keep it in front of everybody's nose so that they understand it, that it still hasn't been taken care of, and we have a lot of work to do."
Popovich's comments this year are quite similar to his also thoughtful response on the subject last year, when he noted that it's important to celebrate BHM and confront the issues our country still faces in terms of race.
