Game one of the Western Conference NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the heavy favorite Golden State Warriors was loaded with many different narratives.
The Spurs shockingly dominated in the first half and the usually electric Warriors looked sloppy, rusty and completely lost. Spurs star, Kawhi Leonard, was leading his team to a blowout of arguably the best team in the league when Warriors’ center Zaza Pauchulia arguably committed a dirty play by not allowing Leonard to land safely, thereby rolling his ankle.
If it was intentional, it worked, because not only would Leonard not return, the Warriors would make an epic comeback to win the game.
But another narrative also went down when Trump-hating Spurs Coach, Gregg Popovich, inexplicably bashed President Trump just before the game.
USA Today has the full transcript of Popovich’s comments about Trump:
“Usually, things happen in the world and you go to work and you’ve got your family and you’ve got your friend and you do what you do, but to this day I feel like there’s a cloud, a pall, over the whole country, in a paranoid surreal sort of way that’s got nothing to do with the Democrats losing the election.
It’s got to do with the way one individual conducts himself. It’s embarrassing. It’s dangerous to our institutions and what we all stand for and what we expect the country to be.
But for this individual, he’s at a game show and everything that happens begins and ends with him, not our people or our country. When he talks about those things, that’s just a ruse.
That’s disingenuous, cynical and fake. Well with that, have a nice day.
Enjoy the game. Somebody’s going to win. Somebody’s going to lose. I just hope somebody doesn’t get their butt kicked.”
You can watch the video here.
Gregg Popovich lighting into Donald Trump about how he conducts himself: “It’s a game show” pic.twitter.com/kLyUYtg3Xi
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 14, 2017
At least he was right about that last part. The Warriors beat the Spurs 113-111, although to be fair, the Spurs kicked their butt when Leonard was still in the game.
In spite of that, being a coach of a basketball team does not qualify one to be a voice of authority on this matter.
But it’s also liberal sports journalists not sticking to their job description and provoking a response from coach Popovich in the hopes he’ll bash the President – because anti-Trump is a leading story for the liberal media.
And they know he’ll speak freely and honestly about Trump because he’s bashed him before.
In January, post inauguration, Forbes reported of Popovich’s comments about Trump:
“The march today was great. That message is important, and it could have been a whole lot of groups marching. And somebody said on TV, ‘What’s the message?’ Well, their message is obvious.
Our president comes in with the lowest rating of anybody whoever came into the office. And, there’s a majority of people out there, since Hillary won the popular vote, that don’t buy his act.”
Later in his 4 minute berating of Trump, Forbes reported:
“I hope he does a great job. But there’s a difference between respecting the office of the president and the one who occupies it. That respect has to be earned. It’s hard to be respectful of someone when we all have kids, and we’re watching him be misogynistic and xenophobic and racist and make fun of handicapped people.
And what really bothers me are the people around him. The Sean Spicers, the Kellyanne Conways the Reince Preibuses, who know who he is and actually have the cynical approach and disingenuous attitude to really defend him and make it look like he didn’t say what he said. And so, when he’s mad at the media for them reporting what he said, it just boggles my mind.”
This is exactly why ESPN has been suffering lately, causing them to lay off 100 on-air personalities. Sports is entertainment and provides an escape for people. Forcing political views into their escapism is annoying – especially when the liberal bias is so obvious.
That’s a shame. He lives in Texas, a very conservative state, this might come back to bite him in the ass. I’m a huge Spurs fan, ang the players don’t necessarily agree with him. All I can say is that the Spurs, Texas, and hopefully the Trump will remain long after Popovich is embarrased by his intolerance. I tell you, give a guy some praise and he thinks he owns the prez.
Tell it to Golden State or I should say ask them,maybe they won’t talk to you cause your Gay and have a Black Boyfriend or because you’re talking hilly+ohboomba shit in President Trumps town ,Theres 100 Pro Team Owners and 1000 more waiting in the wings, nobody cares if you disappear tonight forever! But one last thing theres only one President of the United States think about that next time you walk outside or Start a Car or take a Dump sunshine,Or sign your Tax Return before your start running your big fat mouth, because you might wind up in Atlanta and not as a Team owner but with a big black dick in it or the Chum for sharks 100 miles out in the Atlantic! You can buy a Sports team but you can’t buy the Presidency ask you molester pals the clintons!Even if you can spend 60 million for a 2 hour rap talk to try and win an election?