Add Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores to the list of sport franchise owners backing the players right to protest.
These comments, of course, come after President Donald Trump’s inflammatory remarks that any “son of a bitch” kneeling during the national anthem should be fired.
“America’s most treasured values include equality and diversity, and the right to effect change through peaceful expression and thoughtful debate,” Gores says in a statement. “Our players care deeply about our community, and they demonstrate that every day.
“We support their right to raise awareness in a manner they believe is both thoughtful and impactful. We hope that any response to it will be equally thoughtful.”
It seems clear from that statement that Gores will not be disciplining any member of the Pistons that choose to protest a cause the individual deems worthy, whether it be on or off the court.
Gores is hardly the only person within the organization that has taken issue with something the President has said.
Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy famously called President Trump “openly and brazenly racist and misogynistic.”
With President Trump going after the NBA and uninviting the champion Golden State Warriors to the White House, it will be interesting to see how the league as a whole responds on the court.
Just recently we have seen teams brace the court in protest of former-Clippers owner Donald Sterling, as well as wear “I can’t breathe” shirts in pre-game shootaround to protest the killing of Eric Garner.
My guess is there will be some form of visible protest once the season starts, especially with NBA superstars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry calling out the President directly.
we thought about it and this is what we think! ANY MAN HAS A RIGHT TO PROTEST ANYTHING. A MAN COULD FOR INSTANCE PROTEST APPLE PIE. HE WOULD BE MOCKED AND RIDICULED AS A CRAZY ASSHOLE BUT HE COULD DO IT NONE THE LESS. THIS IS HOW AMERICAN PATRIOTS FEEL ABOUT RICH SPORTS PLAYERS PROTESTS.
Tom, protest away. When you bring a winning team to the court I might pay some attention to you and your players. How about making the playoffs, maybe getting into the 2nd round? As long as you’re paying attention to supporting your overpaid players in “raising awareness” instead of putting a decent product on the court, I’ll ignore your ramblings.