J J.

How do you feel about the restart after such a strong statement And then another one?

What kind of platform do you think that the bubble provides for the MBA to keep the message out there The restart of the restart.

Um, talk briefly about this on my podcast yesterday, but I thought, What what Draymond said on Social yesterday, Swin Cash from the pelicans also said, this is Well, um, you know, the power is in playing.

The power is in the platform off playing.

Why do, uh, predominantly black NBA players have to bear the burden for police brutality?

Why do they have to stop going to work?

Why did it have to be on them?

Why is the onus on them?

Um, it's a really, you know, it's a really frustrating situation that we can't have our politicians, uh, be the ones who are doing things.

Why is the onus on us?

Um you know what Jared Kushner said yesterday was so disingenuous about LeBron LeBron has done so much, he's been on the front line.

You see, W n ba players like Maya Moore who've been on the front lines.

You see athletes across the spectrum have been on the frontlines who are using their time.

Their resource is help and cause change.

And someone like Jared Kushner wants to call LeBron out.

It's so disingenuous.

He knows what LeBron is doing.

He knows what the N b.

A is doing.

We're all trying to solve the problem.

What is he doing?

What is he doing?

So we're Look, we're using it.

I'm so proud of our league.

I'm so proud of the w N B A.

I'm so proud of professional athletes across across all sports and what they're doing right now.

Um, well, it will help from the people who actually can put some policies in place.

We will help from them.

J How are those conversations?

Internally?

Obviously.

You know, our commander in chief has made multiple comments about the MBA.

How do MBA players ultimately feel about that?

Uh, J in key.

You guys know this?

The the anger, the anger.

Israel.

Um you know, I I'm talking to my peers.

I can't I can't quite get it because I'm a white person in America.

But in talking to my peers, the anger, Israel and the conversations that I've had and that, you know, talking to guys who were in those conversations over the last 24 to 48 hours.

Um, there's a lot of anger.

There's a lot of frustration on it.

Za ballad.

It's very valid And look across the country outside of sports with protests.

Um, you know, the anger is valid.

I'll just say that the anger is valid.

Let me say this and correct you for a minute there.

J show.

You do get it.

You just don't understand why it keeps happening.

No, you get it.

That's why you have aligned yourself with the matter to help.

So don't say you don't get it, because you do get it for sure.

Else you wouldn't even be you'd be like, you know, I ain't gonna say the name because I don't want to get too political on it.

But you you would be like some of those other people, right?

I mean that, you know?

You know what I'm saying?

How big?

How big of a voice there's Michael Jordan have right now huge.

A huge voice and huge influence.

Um, you know, that's one of the things that I know the players have discussed with all of the owners and and Michael can be an incredible liaison between players and owners, and our owners, because of their economic power, have a lot of political influence.

And so what we're trying to do is align ourselves with them so that we can all sort of move in the right direction and accomplishing things together.

Those were conversations that were happening prior to the bubble.

Um, how many people know there's, Ah, there's a fund that's been set up with the N B P.

A and the MBA.

The owners are donating, you know, $300 million.

I'm sure that number is gonna gonna go up, but But again, the alignment with the owners and using their political influence.

I think it's huge.

You know, JJ were both being obviously coached by Coach K.

I think we both have a significant understanding of what what team means and how to operate as one right, the fist, um, that we've heard him make mentioned multiple times.

What has what has been the feeling inside of you over the last day or so, Seeing how all athletes in all sports are looking like a unified team.

Yeah.

No, it's, um Yeah, I think it's Ah, it's an important moment.

Um, it's an important moment to see all athletes, all skin colors, stepping up.

Um, I I talked about this a bunch in in March in April and May when, uh, you know, the coronavirus was just raging pre George Floyd.

You saw athletes stepping up in their communities and offering their resource is and offering assistance and making, you know, bringing awareness to issues in their communities where they play.

Um, And then you've seen it happen again with these social justice protests.

Um, with these conversations that we're having across the country, I'm so proud to be a professional athlete right now.

And I should also mention, you know, in times of reflection over the past two days, two months, six months, whatever it is, um, there's been so many people over the last 60 70 years who have done this and some got credit.

Some didn't.

I think about Bill Russell all the time.

I think about him all the time and what he had to deal with as the Boston Celtics player, what he had to deal with as an M V P as an NBA champion.

The racism, you know, and speaking out and being an activist back then when it was unpopular, when it was un cool.

You know, I think about Colin Kaepernick all the time.

I think about him all the time and what he did because it was un cool and, you know, you're seeing people step up now, but the risk isn't there that it was for guys like Colin Kaepernick, Tommie Smith and John Carlos or Bill Russell or Maya Moore.

Uh, so you know, as much as I'm like, Hey, give us credit for being unified and for for being active on this, you know, there's been so many people that paved the way for us and just I think about them all the time.