The National Basketball Coaches Association has established a committee on racial injustice and reform in the wake of the death of George Floyd, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The NBCA released a statement Monday regarding Floyd’s death, signed by 33 current and former head coaches and nearly 180 assistants — including Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse and his assistants.
“Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the family of George Floyd,” the statement read.
“As NBA coaches – both head and assistant coaches — we lead groups of men, most of whom are African American, and we see, hear and share their feelings of disgust, frustration, helplessness and anger.
“The events of the past few weeks – police brutality, racial profiling and the weaponization of racism are shameful, inhumane and intolerable.
“As a diverse group of leaders, we have a responsibility to stand up and speak out for those who don’t have a voice – and to stand up and speak out for those who don’t feel it is safe to do so.
“Witnessing the murder of George Floyd in cold blood and in broad daylight has traumatized our nation, but the reality is that African Americans are targeted and victimized on a daily basis. As NBA coaches, we cannot treat this as an isolated incident of outrage.
“We are committed to working in our NBA cities with local leaders, officials and law enforcement agencies to create positive change in our communities. We have the power and platform to affect change, and we will use it.”
Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, Lloyd Pierce, David Fizdale and Stan Van Gundy were part of the committee chosen to craft the Association’s statement, per Wojnarowski, along with JB Bickerstaff and Quin Snyder.
Wojnarowski added that the NBCA is planning a Tuesday call to discuss how they can “begin immediate action items” as they look to pursue solutions in NBA cities.
