Olympic icon John Carlos says NBA boycotts are now heroes

John Carlos, author of the most famous protest in the history of sport, has become a hero for human rights. Now, nearly 52 years after his transformational moment, Carlos has new heroes of his own: NBA players who boycott the playoffs because of racial injustice.

“I congratulate you on what they have done. In my mind they have moved on to hero status, “Carlos told The Post.” I mean everything [athletes] who walked away from their games to set a precedent and make statements, to let the property know that it has been a long time relevant to the lives of blacks that have been taken out of the hands of law enforcement, and the fact is that the properties they never showed respect or concern for those black lives.

“These women as well as the men have become my heroes. I wanted to throw away all the things I had from my mantel and put each of them on my mantel as someone I should commemorate, someone I should love, someone I should respect and honor. They are my heroes. “

History has shown that Carlos, born and raised in Harlem, is a hero. It took a while for the company to catch up.

In the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968, Carlos and Tommie Smith helped organize the Olympic Human Rights Project. And that October 16, after winning bronze and gold in the 200m respectively, the two men raised their fists in black gloves on the podium at the Mexico City Games. That gesture threw them out of the Games and into the pantheon of civil rights icons.

So when Carlos praises NBA player boycotts for Jacob Blake’s police shooting in Kenosha, Wis., It carries weight. And he argues that player position can send a message to billionaire team owners that they have the weight, connections and contacts to effect real change.

“These young people have realized that if you don’t worry about those lives being black, you don’t worry about my life as a black person,” Carlos, 75, told the Post. “They took the initiative to send a signal to the owners, it’s time for you to step forward and be real in life, and worry not only about the lives of blacks but all lives, and you realize that there is a double standard.

“If I represent you, you have to wake up and start representing me. By making a statement by stepping back, the ball is in the owner’s court. It is in the courts of the commissioners of various leagues, the presidents of the various leagues to realize that these young athletes do you a service every week. You are the cow that gives the milk and they appreciate and respect it, but it seems that being me the grass you have no respect for me. Without grass, there is no cow. “

After Blake was shot seven times in the back and was paralyzed, the Bucks refused to play Game 5 of their playoff series against Magic. Other teams followed suit, prompting the NBA to postpone its postseason to Saturday. The WNBA and MLS have teamed up, with even some MLB teams following suit. Tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from Thursday’s semifinal and her tournament has been suspended.

“I thought this was the snowball on top of the hill preparing to roll down, and I think all professional sports will be a part of it, and I think that’s what’s happening,” Carlos told the Post. “We hope the ownership comes together and we realize this is a very serious issue. It’s not about politics as they have been [saying]. It is about humanity.

“It is one thing if you are in love with your girlfriend. It’s another thing for your girlfriend not to show you love … And that’s what it is with pro athletes versus owning pro. It’s not a coherent relationship if I give up on love and don’t see love come back. Speaks. Show me the spirit of love and honesty. Take politics and bury it. We are just talking about life, we are talking about humanity “.

Carlos said earlier that if you are black and famous, you must be an activist. He has expressed irritation with athletes who are not. Now he expresses admiration for those who are.