Advertisement

Updated August 29th, 2020 at 18:08 IST

Donald Trump predicts ongoing 'political' NBA protests would 'destroy' basketball

In a recent statement, US President Donald Trump revealed that he thinks the ongoing NBA Black Lives Matter protests are not good for the future of the game.

Reported by: Devika Pawar
Donald Trump
| Image:self
Advertisement

Over the past few months, NBA players have taken a powerful stand on systemic racism, boldly supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. Players attended protests for George Floyd in the USA and continued to donate and speak about Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other victims of police brutality and racism. While presidential candidate Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama have extended their support for the NBA's decision to continue their protests even at the NBA bubble, President Donald Trump has been vocal about his criticism for NBA supporting BLM. 

Also read | Donald Trump labels NBA a "political organisation" after NBA boycott over Jacob Blake shooting: NBA playoffs cancelled

Donald Trump on the NBA boycott: "NBA, in particular, is gonna destroy basketball."

On Friday (Saturday IST), Donald Trump voiced his views on the NBA boycott once again, believing that the NBA will destroy the sport one day. "I think what they're doing to the NBA in particular is gonna destroy basketball," Trump said while speaking to Air Force One reporters. He later added that their political stand will be "threatening" to the league. “It’s very bad for the NBA, and it’s gonna prove to be very bad for football," he said.

Also read | Barack Obama praises Bucks for NBA boycott in wake of Jacob Blake shooting: NBA playoffs cancelled

Trump's comments come after the Milwaukee Bucks decided to boycott their game against Orlando Magic. Sometime later, others teams also decided to sit out scheduled games. As a result, the NBA announced that all games are being postponed. The Bucks, based in Wisconsin, stated that they were unable to concentrate on basketball after Jacob Blake's shooting. Blake, 29, was a black man who was shot by police officers in broad daylight in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

A day ago, Donald Trump had referred to the NBA as a "political organization". His displeasure is known since players kneeeled during the national anthem in July. He even mentioned the NBA's declining ratings, claiming that he would no longer watch games if they continued disrespecting the country. He even called the players "very dumb" and "very nasty" for kneeling. In response, NBA icon LeBron James spoke to the media after a game about players not being bothered by Trump refusing to watch NBA games. 

Also read | LeBron James facilitating multi-million-dollar effort to recruit poll workers for election: LeBron James boycott

On Friday, the league announced that they would resume their games on the weekend. Their decision comes with a deal which will allow more access to voting for the upcoming US Presidential election. Initially, enraged players held a meeting were Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers were among teams who opted to cancel the season. However, the players changed their stand after later negotiations, agreeing that their games are the appropriate platform to advocate a change. 

Also read | Trevor Noah believes America is relying too much on NBA players to "fix everything": NBA playoffs cancelled

(Image credits: AP)

Advertisement

Published August 29th, 2020 at 18:08 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo