Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma spoke to reporters for six and a half minutes on Wednesday – some in person in Orlando, Florida; some access to Zoom – and 10 questions were asked.
Only one of the questions was geared towards social justice, and not long after the session ended, Kuzma asked media members in a tweet to give higher priority to social justice when talking to players as the NBA tries to restart the its season after a monthly hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Media and readers: we work hand in hand. We have platforms but help us! Yes, we know that your job is to ask us questions about basketball. But if you guys believe in equality for everyone, let’s ask some questions about social injustice here and there. We are all in this together
– Kuz (@kylekuzma) July 22, 2020
Kuzma’s teammate, Lakers guard Alex Caruso, took a similar turn on Wednesday. After answering two questions about the disappearance of his sister’s wedding, Megan, over the weekend, Caruso told reporters where he wanted the matter to remain for the day.
“Outside of the questions about my sister’s wedding, whatever you ask basketball today, I will simply answer,” We need justice for Breonna Taylor, “said Caruso.
“This will be my answer to the rest of the questions if they are related to basketball and not relevant to me and my sister’s wedding.”
Taylor has been a recurring theme during player interviews this week.
After the first scrimmage of the NBA restart on Wednesday, Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George became the first player to use the entire post-game interview session with reporters to rigorously discuss the death of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and the police brutality.
“[Shoulders] I felt great, but above all I think, I take this time to express my condolences to the Taylors family, Breonna Taylor, to rest in peace, George Floyd, to rest in peace, “said George.” There are so many others out there who have been brutally murdered by the police. This is all I have, this is my message for everyone and it will continue to be my answer. “
George said the players will do their best to continue talking about the police brutality and Taylor’s death.
“I think that’s what we’re here for, to keep keeping it in people’s minds,” said George. “I mean, his killers are still free, so nothing has been done yet. And I hope to continue, once again, continue this fight and use our platform to defend those who can no longer resist.”
When asked if Orlando players are talking to each other about using their platforms to focus on social justice cases like Taylor’s death, George said it is a topic discussed among his colleagues.
“We are here, we see each other, we are housed in the same areas, it is very easy for us to get together and do it together, do it collectively,” said George. “The NBA is a wonderful platform, and they allowed us to use it, to meet and use it.”
Toronto Raptors guard Terence Davis replied to a question on Wednesday saying, “We are united at the moment, focusing on Breonna Taylor’s killers. This is what I want to focus on. I can answer your questions after the game. or anytime after we play. Right now, focus on what’s going on. “
On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Bucks swingman Sterling Brown said: “Every day I wake up and I am able to breathe, but it is not so for many people, it is not the case with Breonna Taylor, so I feel that we must focus our attention on this more than what’s going on here. “
Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart answered each question on Tuesday by saying “Justice for Breonna Taylor”.
In the months since Taylor was killed, many players have used social media to express their outrage. Taylor, a 26-year-old black emergency medical technician, was hit eight times in her apartment by plainclothesmen who served a search warrant without knocking. No drugs found.
Taylor and her boyfriend Kenneth Walker were awakened by Louisville officers who used a ram to enter his apartment around midnight on March 13th. Walker fired his gun, he said, in self-defense believing his house had been torn apart. Police say they only shot after Walker.
Detective Brett Hankison has been fired. Jon Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, the other officers involved, were subjected to administrative reassignment.
Kuzma tweeted about Taylor on Monday.
BREONNA TAYLOR KILLERS STILL ON THE ROAD
– Kuz (@kylekuzma) 20 July 2020
A few days earlier, LeBron James had shared a message about Taylor to his 68.6 million followers on Instagram. Denver Nuggets striker Jerami Grant was the first NBA bubble player to draw attention to having dedicated his entire interview session to Taylor a week ago.
“It’s nice to be here with my teammates, it’s nice to be playing basketball again, but for me personally, and I think many players, it is imperative that we focus on what’s really important in the world,” he said. Grant on July 15th. “One thing for me is that Breonna Taylor’s killers are still around for free, so I want to focus on this with these interviews and things like that. I want to stay focused there.”
Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris promoted Grant’s message by challenging Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron by name on Monday when asked about the guard of Houston Rockets, Russell Westbrook’s fashion label, which produces clothing sanctioned by NBA with social justice messages that players can wear in Orlando.
“Nothing against the shirts, but we want to make sure that Daniel Cameron arrests the cops and officers involved in Breonna Taylor’s death,” said Harris. “And that’s all I have to say. It will be my answer for every question. Daniel Cameron will step forward and do what’s right, and that’s the only message I got today.”
The problem was also picked up by Portland Trail Blazer guard CJ McCollum, who said he was on a phone call with Taylor’s mother to gather information on the case.
“I want to go on the record saying that Daniel Cameron is able to arrest the cops who are responsible for killing Breonna Taylor and he hasn’t done it yet, so he’s the one who is potentially able to do it,” said McCollum Tuesday . “So we want to continue raising people like Breonna Taylor who are victims and have not received the right justice that is due to them.”
McCollum also wanted to shift the conversation during the media session to Taylor, rather than the Blazer playoffs or spin prospects.
“In terms of other parts of your question, I think basketball is secondary,” he said. “You know, it’s obviously our job and it gives us the ability to fulfill those obligations, but it’s also our obligation to fulfill and protect our neighborhoods and protect people who look like us and come from places like us and don’t have exactly the same rumors that so we think it’s something that has been in all our minds, we have been very proactive about it. “
The Professional Basketball Writers Association intends to cover NBA players’ demands for social justice, as well as ongoing games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.
On July 7, during a meeting open to full membership in the PBWA, PBWA members decided to proactively contact the National Basketball Players Association to ask union officials if PBWA officers and other members of the player would be interested in hold further video conference interviews with journalists with an emphasis on social justice issues, not basketball.
PBWA and NPBA had a very promising initial discussion on July 9, according to sources from the ESPN League, and PBWA officials hope these sessions will occur. The notion of additional media availability to discuss social issues has been presented to the NBPA executive committee, according to ESPN sources, and is currently under consideration.
When a follower suggested the idea of separate media availability times to address social justice issues in Kuzma on Wednesday, the third year veteran replied, saying that players get the largest audience when they usually answer related questions. to the game after the final beep.
“The moment you want to hear the wall is post-game, so that’s where there must be a conversation about social injustice,” tweeted Kuzma. “If it were a separate presser, nobody would pay attention.”
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