Tag: John Lewis

Gregg Popovich Delivers Powerful Statement Following John Lewis’ Death — NESN.com

Gregg Popovich isn’t one to shy away from social issues, especially in terms of civil rights. So, naturally, the death of United States representative and civil rights icon John Lewis struck a chord with the San Antonio Spurs’ head coach. Popovich released a powerful statement about the late congressman Sunday morning. “(Lewis has) been such…

Gregg Popovich Delivers Powerful Statement Following John Lewis’ Death — NESN.com

Gregg Popovich isn’t one to shy away from social issues, especially in terms of civil rights. So, naturally, the death of United States representative and civil rights icon John Lewis struck a chord with the San Antonio Spurs’ head coach.

Popovich released a powerful statement about the late congressman Sunday morning.

“(Lewis has) been such an iconic figure for so long. It’s hard not to feel the loss of somebody who has been so important for our country. He’s a rare combination of an abundance of courage, and at the same time, amazing humility,” Popovich said Sunday, via ESPN’s Marc J. Spears.

“Nothing was ever about him. It was always about the work that he wanted to do to try to make this nation live up to its promises. And that — I always felt — was really special about him. He was always hopeful. He was always ready for the fight — in a good way. He pushed America. He pushed white privilege. Kind of ironic that white privilege and white supremacy kept those promises from being fully realized. And he — who was downtrodden — made sure that he never gave up and continued to push this country in the right direction. “So, he — along with many others obviously — he was one of those special people that now that he is gone, you really feel an absence — an absence of decency, an absence of righteous effort for justice for everybody. And hopefully we can move on in a way that honors what he did his whole life. You know, the opposite of what is going on now with the gutting of the Voting Rights Act. So all those politicians that are praising Congressman Lewis on the one hand are the same people that are willing to gut the Voting Rights Act that he worked so hard for. That, I think, is disgusting.”

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich on the passing of Civil Rights Icon and Congressman John Lewis. pic.twitter.com/X1cNZOgS75 — Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 19, 2020 Well said. Lewis, 80, had battled pancreatic cancer in the six months before his death. More NBA: Doc Rivers Reveals Powerful Interaction With John Lewis Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images

Read more at: https://nesn.com/2020/07/gregg-popovich-delivers-powerful-statement-following-john-lewis-death/

Doc Rivers Reveals Powerful Interaction With John Lewis Amid NBA Career — NESN.com

It was a sad day in the United States on Saturday following the death of congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis late Friday night. Clippers head coach Doc Rivers took the news particularly hard, recognizing the late Georgia politician before Los Angeles’ practice Saturday. “Really sad day for our country,” an emotional Rivers said,…

Doc Rivers Reveals Powerful Interaction With John Lewis Amid NBA Career — NESN.com

It was a sad day in the United States on Saturday following the death of congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis late Friday night.

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers took the news particularly hard, recognizing the late Georgia politician before Los Angeles’ practice Saturday.

“Really sad day for our country,” an emotional Rivers said, via the team. “What’s amazing is when you think of right now, some of the stuff that John Lewis was fighting for, we’re still fighting for. Voter suppression right now is at an all-time high.

“It’s amazing how hard we have a group of people who are trying to get people not to vote. Latinos, Blacks and young people are the targets. That’s what they are trying to get not to vote. It’s amazing when you think about how long ago that was and yet we are still fighting that fight.”

Much of what Lewis fought for has resonated with Rivers throughout his life. The 58-year-old recalled a time he crossed paths with Lewis early in his NBA career, a moment he says he’ll never forget.

More NBA: Seeing LeBron James In Bubble Reminds Kemba Walker Of His Amateur Days

“I’ll tell you a quick story,” Rivers said. “I was young, I was playing for the (Atlanta) Hawks, and I got to know Andy Young really well, and Andrew was running for governor, and I went on a campaign trip with John Lewis and Andy Young. Just think about that, I was a — I don’t know, 26 maybe, 27. I don’t know how old I was. And we flew to Albany, Georgia, of all places, and Andrew Young gave a speech at an all-white church, and he was fantastic. It was an absolutely amazing speech. The crowd was going crazy.

“We get on the plane, and we’re talking, and Andrew Young turns to me and said — he used to call me Young Doc. He says, ‘Young Doc, what did you think about the speech?’ and I jokingly said, ‘Well, Mr. Young, I thought the speech was great, but I don’t think you’re getting one vote from that church.’ And everybody started laughing. John Lewis piped in and says, ‘Well, we’re not trying to get all of them, we’re just trying to get one at a time, and eventually it will be all of them.’ I thought that was just one powerful statement.”

.@DocRivers remembers John Lewis. pic.twitter.com/wHGmQDGgpm

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) July 18, 2020

Lewis, 80, died after a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer.