https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ruWLzbrKso
Fred VanVleet took no basketball questions and only spoke about Jacob Blake. He was incredibly thoughtful and visibly emotional – so I simply asked him how he’s doing. pic.twitter.com/9gSaFf4Bc4
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) August 25, 2020
“It’s being talked about …. taking a knee is not getting it done.” Norm Powell about the possibility of boycotting games.
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) August 25, 2020
There is inequalities and injustices that carry HARSH punishments for people of color !! I watched a man get shot 7 times in front of his children they will never be able to unsee what they just saw every nerve in my body is on fire
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) August 25, 2020
Raptors on police shooting of Jacob Blake: ‘Do we actually give a f—?’ – Yahoo!
Powell and VanVleet also challenged media and fans to take action in their own lives. The point was made that it shouldn’t be the responsibility of Black athletes to live through trauma, while also being expected to be on the front lines in rallying, creating community initiatives, and also being the public face of the movement by repeatedly speaking on the issues.
“At what point do we not have to speak about it anymore? Are we going to hold everybody accountable or are we just going to point the spotlight on Black people or Black athletes or entertainers to say, ‘What are you doing, what are you contributing to the community, and what are you putting on the line?’” VanVleet said.
And to that point, VanVleet issued the same challenge to himself and his fellow players, because everyone’s collective efforts have not been enough. Police brutality continues to be a pervasive issue, accountability is fleeting, and despite pressure being put on politicians, defunding and disarming the police remains a non-starter on both sides of the political spectrum, which means that more lives will be lost.
“What are we willing to give up? Do we actually give a f— about what’s going on or is it just cool to wear Black Lives Matter on a backdrop or wear a T-shirt? Like, what does that really mean? Is that really doing anything?” VanVleet said.
Koreen: Tired of talking, Raptors consider drastic action in the name of change – The Athletic
In order to prevent the frustration from turning into feelings of futility or powerlessness, the players say there is a sense among them that they must step up their efforts, even if the onus should not fall to only them. Powell spoke extensively on the need for police officers to face consequences for their actions, and about the emptiness of internal investigations in which the instances have been caught on camera. VanVleet, whose father was shot to death when he was just 5 and whose stepfather, Joe Danforth, was a police officer, was just as passionate about putting pressure on those in positions of power.
There is an understanding that change tends to happen incrementally, but that only increases the urgency to get the process beyond its early stages.
“The question that I would like to ask is, does America think that Black people or people of colour are uncivilized, savages, or naturally unjust? Or are we products of the environments that we participate in?” Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown said. “That’s the question I would like to ask America, and America has proven its answer over and over and over again. Are we not human beings? Is Jacob Blake not a human being? I don’t care if he did something 10 years ago, 10 days ago, or 10 minutes ago. If he served his sentence and he was released back into society, he still deserves to be treated like a human and does not deserve to be shot in the back seven times with the intent to kill. His kids will never unsee that. His family will never unsee that. And frankly, I will never unsee it. People post my jersey all the time, No. 7, and every time I look at my jersey now, what I see is a black man getting shot seven times.”
“There are people … that I know being killed back home, and you just start to think about all these families that are experiencing these different things, and some you can’t avoid,” VanVleet added. “And some are very, very avoidable. These situations we are watching do not have to be happening — like point-blank, period. There is no reason for it other than hatred and systematic racism that is ingrained in our culture and our society and our people every day. It’s just really sad. We all personalize everything, so to personalize a situation like that and think about my babies having to see that or (that) growing up my son is going to have to walk (in) some of these same environments and you have to teach your kids about how to interact with the police, what to do and what not to do, you become helpless a little bit and it’s scary. Scary is the word I would use, just scary.”
A lot of powerful words.
Emotional, frustrated Raptors have discussed boycott in wake of Jacob Blake shooting – Sportsnet.ca
The Raptors series against the Celtics has the potential to be a classic, bringing together two teams that have been butting heads for years but have never met in the playoffs. Game 1 is scheduled for Thursday night, but it seems far away at the moment.
“I don’t’ really care about [the Celtics] right now, to be honest with you,” said VanVleet. “…Right now, today, on Tuesday, I could care less.”
What he cares about, and what NBA players in the bubble – from LeBron James on down – care about is what they can do to help solve an issue that stands on hundreds of years of history.
Could not playing be a solution?
“We knew coming here or not coming here was not going to stop anything but I think ultimately playing or not playing puts pressure on somebody,” said VanVleet. “So, for example, this happened in Kenosha, Wis., if I’m correct?
“Would it be nice if, in a perfect world, we all say we’re not playing, and the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks – that’s going to trickle down – if he steps up to the plate and puts pressure on the district attorney’s office, and state’s attorney, and governor, and politicians there to make real change and get some justice.
“I know it’s not that simple, but at the end of the day if we’re gonna sit here and talk about making change then at some point we’re gonna have to put our nuts on the line and actually put something up to lose.… I’m just over the media aspect of it, it’s sensationalized, we talk about it every day … but it just feels like a big pacifier to me.”
It’s impossible to exaggerate how raw and wounded both VanVleet and Powell sounded and it seems fair to say they’re not alone. Similarly impassioned remarks have been made by the likes of James and his Lakers teammate Kyle Kuzma, and Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill, among others.
VanVleet grew up in Rockford, Ill., a medium-sized midwestern city not far from Kenosha. His father was killed when he was five, caught up in drug violence. His stepfather is a police detective. VanVleet hasn’t seen his young family in nine weeks and now this.
“You can’t really make sense of it,” VanVleet said. “I mean, you can, but it’s not the most logical thing in the world for people to be getting killed because of their skin color. The situation itself, it’s tough a little bit. You get a little survivor’s remorse. You feel a little guilty. That’s just natural as somebody who lives a very privileged and blessed life. Obviously, I worked to be here, don’t get me wrong, but because I make millions of dollars doesn’t make me any more worth of a person than anyone else.
“So, you feel guilty sometimes, and that’s normal, and you try to use your platform and your reach and your resources to contribute to other people’s lives and making their lives better, and that’s about as much as you can do in the moment.
“…[But] I think you can’t underestimate the trauma that we take in on a daily basis from our phones and watching these videos.… Every time it’s fresh it brings back old stuff, re-opens wounds. My father was killed when I was young so it’s just a lot of things that go into taking all this information in.”
With series looming, Raptors and Celtics unite in frustration over Blake shooting – TSN.ca
In a normal time, the Raptors and Celtics would be preparing to do battle. Toronto would be focused on slowing down the star trio of Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker, while Boston locks in on the red-hot VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and the defending champs. The story would be Kyle Lowry, whose status for Game 1 is uncertain on account of his sprained left ankle.
But these are not normal times and this is not business as usual.
Police brutality and systemic anti-Black racism are not a new reality – they’ve been rampant for centuries. With the spotlight shining on these issues in recent months, VanVleet – like many others – had hoped that progress was being made. The shooting of Blake serves as another disheartening reminder that there is still plenty of work to be done.
“There are some officers in law enforcement that need to be held accountable for their actions,” Powell said. “I’m tired of reading and seeing these incidents, and then seeing these police officers being put on administrative leave. Like, okay, you killed somebody, go have a vacation and we’ll figure out what really happened? For me, if you’re in that position and have that badge, you’re supposed to wear it with honour. It’s to protect and serve everybody. You need to be held to a higher standard of the law since you’re the one enforcing it. And the fact that you constantly see people with that uniform on getting away and being acquitted and not being charged with murder, when you see first-hand video of that happening, it’s frustrating. We can’t allow that.
“It’s on all of us to actually stand up and demand things, and get in front of these people’s faces that make the laws and have the power to fully effect change, and force them to. Until that is done, s— ain’t gonna change. I’m gonna sit up here and answer your guys’ questions and continue to say Black Lives Matter, but until all who believe that and see what’s going on are ready to step up and lay it on the line to make real change and move towards real progress and take the [police officers] that don’t belong in that field out, we’re gonna keep seeing it over and over again.”
So, for VanVleet, Powell and the Raptors – like the Celtics, and many players around the NBA – their focus will be divided between basketball and something far more important.
Raptors discussed boycotting Game 1 vs. Celtics after police shooting in Wisconsin – ESPN
All four players who spoke Tuesday — VanVleet, fellow Raptors guard Norman Powell, Smart and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown — have all been vocal about racial inequality and social justice, and all were visibly upset about having to speak about this happening once again.
“At some point, like, we’re the ones always with the microphones in our face,” VanVleet said. “We’re the ones always who have to make a stand. But, like, we’re the oppressed ones, and the responsibility falls on us to make a change to stop being oppressed, you know what I’m saying? That’s what it boils down to.
“Like, at what point do we not have to speak about it anymore? Are we gonna hold everybody accountable, or we’re just gonna put the spotlight on Black people, or Black athletes, or entertainers and say, ‘What are you doing? What are you contributing to your community? What are you putting on the line?
“And then us, too, we’ve gotta take responsibility as well. Like, what are we willing to give us? Do we actually give a f— about what’s going on, or is it just cool to wear ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the backdrop, or wear a T-shirt? Like, what does that really mean? Is it really doing anything?”
The Raptors have been vocal in their push for racial equality. They arrived at the NBA bubble in buses that had “Black Lives Matter” written in large, white script on the sides.
Over the past week, Raptors players have shown support for team executive Masai Ujiri after bodycam footage was released that shows a white San Francisco Bay Area sheriff’s deputy shoving Ujiri after Toronto won Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. The Raptors met as a team to watch the video, which was filed by Ujiri, who is Black, as a part of a countersuit.
On Wednesday, VanVleet said that the altercation emphasizes why players have continued to fight for social justice.
“Obviously we’re all privileged, and Masai’s pretty privileged in his world, and you just stop and think about how good we got it,” VanVleet said. “Because there’s people who are gonna be in that same situation walking down the street who don’t have money to fight the case, who don’t have 20,000 people in the stands and don’t have the abilities to countersue.
“How many times do cops do things like that without the bodycam on, without arena footage? It’s a tough situation.”
Raptors pause basketball talk after Jacob Blake shooting | NBA.com
“I know it’s not that simple,” VanVleet continued, “but at the end of the day, if we’re going to sit here and talk about making change then at some point we’re going to have to put our nuts on the line and actually put something up to lose, rather than just money or visibility. I’m just over the media aspect of it. It’s sensationalized. We talk about it everyday. That’s all we see, but it just feels like a big pacifier to me.”
Nurse’s job in this situation is to prepare for Game 1 on Thursday, but also to put that on the back burner for as long as necessary.
“We had a fairly long team gathering this morning. I wouldn’t call it a team meeting because it wasn’t really basketball related,” he said. “I like to acknowledge that if nobody feels like playing basketball or talking about basketball or anything, that’s OK.”
But Nurse thinks that basketball should be played.
“We have a platform here,” he said, “and I think playing still gives us a chance to still use that platform rather than not playing does. That has not changed for me and I think the issues need to continue to be dealt with and talked about seriously.”
The question is what follows the talk and exactly how the issues get dealt with.
“It’s on all of us to actually stand up and demand things,” Powell said, “and get in front of these people’s faces that make the laws and have the power to fully effect change, and force them to. Until that is done, ain’t **** gonna change.
“I’m going to sit up here and answer your guys’ questions and continue to say ‘Black Lives Matter’ and make and effect change. But until we all who believe that and see what’s going on are ready to step up and lay it on the line to make real change and move towards real progress and take the ones that don’t belong in that field out, we’re going to keep seeing it over and over again.”
A large part of the reason why NBA players agreed with the league’s plan to restart the season on a sanitized campus near Orlando was because of the platform it would provide the players to make statements about police brutality, systemic racism and a host of other social ills that plague society today — mainly in the United States, but also worldwide.
They have done that, and still were shocked to their core by the video they saw Sunday of Blake being shot.
The question now is: What’s next?
“Everybody knows where we stand, but what’s next?” Powell said. “Because this is still happening, and so how do we force the hand?
“So until somebody does something truly dramatic and kind of goes Black Panther, and carries your own arms and fights back with the police and things like that, nothing’s going to change. And then, if we do that, there’s another narrative where now there’s a reason why we’re viewed that way, because we’re taking the ‘by any means necessary’ route, that we’re going to protect ours if they’re not going to protect us.
“And if we go and fight back, then we’re going to have another issue on our hands. And now how do we resolve this in the right way to force those lawmakers … to put the rules and laws in place that prevent this from happening.”
Raptors VanVleet, Powell speak out against Blake shooting, consider boycotting games | CBC Sports
he Wisconsin Department of Justice is leading an investigation into the shooting, which is expected to take several weeks. The officers involved were placed on administrative leave, which is standard practice in such cases.
Powell said police officers need to face consequences when under investigation.
“They believe they’re following the law and they think that’s OK,” Powell said. ” ‘We did an investigation and we found them not guilty.’ And they go home and sleep at night perfectly fine. They live their lives and go to their jobs.
“Until they’re on the line for getting fired and having to lose everything, nothing’s going to happen.”
VanVleet said his family has arrived in Orlando, and he’ll be able to see them in about a week. He said he thinks of his two young children when he sees an incident like the Blake shooting.
“To think about my babies having to see that, or my son is going to have to walk some of these same environments, and you have to teach your kids about how to interact with the police, and what to do, what not to do, you become helpless a little bit and it’s scary.”
Tuesday’s comments from Powell and VanVleet come with the Raptors getting ready to start a second-round series with the Celtics.
“I don’t really care about that right now to be honest with you,” VanVleet said.
“I’m sure when Thursday comes and it’s time to play I’ll be able to lock into basketball, it’s not really that hard for me. I know [the Celtics are] an unbelievably talented team, a great team, and I think the fans have been looking forward to this for a long time.
“Once we get to that point, if we get to that point, then we’ll deal with that when it comes, but right now today, on Tuesday, I couldn’t care less.”
SIMMONS: Basketball the furthest thing from Raptors’ mind after Blake shooting | Toronto Sun
Some Raptors want to go home.
They won’t say who, they will say why.
They can’t help but wonder how much they are actually accomplishing, taking a knee with arms locked, speaking out, making statements by wearing the Black Lives Matter T-shirts and having Black Lives Matter printed on the back of their NBA jerseys. It is all earnest and symbolic and seemingly meaningless.
They can’t help but wonder how little their basketball games matter right now in the big picture and how much the fight of their league and their players and the individual franchises of the NBA — and of society, really — is impacting anything.
What the Raptors have done here all looks and sounds impressive and politically savvy and necessary, yet sadly nothing seems to have changed.
There will be a playoff series beginning Thursday night in Florida, a gigantic series on so many levels for the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics, two of the very best teams in the NBA and yet when the Raptors team got together for an unscheduled meeting Tuesday morning, playing basketball seemed to be the last thing on their minds.
VanVleet said the Raptors got together as a team on a day they would normally be brainstorming and planning for the Celtics and talked again about the systemic racism that is taking lives. Blake, who was shot seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisc., is just the latest example.
The frustration VanVleet, and Norm Powell, who spoke after him, and Nick Nurse, who spoke after Powell, and countless individuals around the world are feeling right now just keeps reaching newer heights. Both VanVleet and Powell talked about making the decision to be part of this re-start because they envisioned using the platform it provided to impart change.
Backed by the league itself and the Player’s Association, the players did just that, hammering home the message that Black Lives Matter.
They took a collective knee during the anthems. They demanded justice for Breonna Taylor and countless other victims of police brutality targeting Blacks. They kept the message front and centre all the while using basketball as a backdrop.
And then a police officer in Wisconsin put seven bullets into the back of Blake as he attempted to get into a car.
As with the George Floyd incident in Minneapolis, the entire situation was taped and is there for all to see on social media.
Blake is presently paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors can not say right now whether the condition is permanent or not.
VanVleet says he has now reached the point where just talking about the issues or highlighting them or wearing Black Lives Matter apparel is no longer enough. He brought up the idea of leveraging the threat of not playing.
Masai Ujiri and Police Who Live Above the Law | The Nation
Ujiri’s broader political point must not be lost. He is able to wrest a measure of justice from this situation only because he has wealth, power, and position. Yet it has still been a struggle. And this is all over a push. Imagine having no station and being shot or killed by police. We don’t have to imagine. We have too many examples, as Ujiri mentions, of those for whom justice is a pipe dream.
As we see right now in Kenosha, Wis., “no justice, no peace” is more than a slogan. It’s the only avenue available for those to whom even a basic semblance of justice is denied. The people that Trump is calling “the mob” are the only ones—amid pandemic and armed repression—attempting to balance the scales of justice in a time when police carry the unholy arrogance of people who, like their dear leader, believe that they live above the law. The people in the streets are heroes. Masai Ujiri, through his statement and his vigilance, has joined their ranks.
Deep Dive Series Preview: How the Raptors and Celtics match up – The Athletic
The Celtics had to do a similar mental exercise to the one the Raptors are now playing out in theory with Lowry. They lost Gordon Hayward for at least the length of this series, forcing Marcus Smart into the starting lineup. While that was successful — Smart is one of the league’s best guard defenders and has improved as a shooter in the floater range, important considerations against Toronto’s defence — the lack of Hayward takes away a very potent starting five and some of Boston’s best smaller lineup options.
Moving Smart into the starting lineup has resulted in a slight uptick in minutes for Brad Wanamaker and Semi Ojeleye. Grant Williams and Romeo Langford are in the mix for bench minutes, as well, and Stevens utilized a 10-man rotation in the final two games of the 76ers series. There were questions about Boston’s depth coming into the playoffs, as a lot of their second-unit names have weaknesses the Raptors could look to attack. At the same time, if Lowry is down, that puts a pretty big dent in Toronto’s own depth with everyone moving up a slot. The lesson: Even the really good teams can’t afford to lose really good players deeper into the playoffs.
The biggest this-or-that question Stevens faces against the Raptors is at backup centre. Enes Kanter was ahead of Robert Williams III in the last round and for most of the year because of Williams’ injuries, but Williams’ skillset is a much more natural fit against the Raptors. His rim-protection and the vertical threat he presents are stiffer challenges for the Raptors, whereas Kanter’s interior scoring and offensive rebounding prowess are strengths they’re better suited to handle (even if it might require some rotation tweaking to get Gasol against Kanter more).
Whether Lowry plays or not, Mitchell has faith in Raptors’ depth – Video – TSN
With Kyle Lowry dealing with a sprained ankle, Sam Mitchell says he believes in the Raptors’ depth and their ability to pick up the slack whether Lowry plays or not. He also touches on who has the edge between Nick Nurse and Brad Stevens.
Celtics vs. Raptors analysis: Boston on different level right now – New York Post
Boston just seems to be playing at another level, on both ends of the floor. The Celtics averaged 117.2 points every 100 possessions against Philadelphia, the best offensive rating in the postseason prior to Monday’s games. They finished sixth in offensive efficiency in the seeding games, posting 116.7 offensive rating. However, will this offense be able to sustain itself against Toronto?
Despite the inconsistencies of their offensive play, the Raptors have been stupendous on defense, both all season long and in Orlando. Toronto allowed just 104.7 points every 100 possessions in the regular season, and clamped down on the Nets offense to the point it averaged just 102.4 points per 100 possessions. The Raptors have shown that this defensive style translates to almost every matchup they have played this season.
Every matchup that is, but the ones with Boston. Part of why Boston won two of three games against Toronto this season was because of their offensive success. In their three games, the Celtics posted a 110.0 offensive rating while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor. Those are not eye-popping metrics on the surface, but they become more impressive when it is against one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. Boston seems to have an advantage in this series, and it has played out in three games.
This is all without mentioning the potential absence of Kyle Lowry, who was reportedly diagnosed with an ankle sprain on Monday. Should Lowry miss any sort of time in this series it will be trouble for the Raptors. He was not an incredible offensive piece for Toronto in its series against Brooklyn, but he was a fine defender. He was on the floor for each game against Boston when the Celtics found consistent success on offense. What does this series look like without him?
Celtics Mailbag: Offensive Rhythm, Uniforms, Time Lord and More | Boston Celtics
Question: What do the Celtics need to do offensively to win the series against a versatile and strong Raptors defence?
Answer: To me, this answer is simple: move the ball.
The best way to beat a great defense is to move the ball from side to side and to force the defense into multiple rotations. The more rotations, the greater the chance that the defense will slip. The proof is in the pudding from the regular-season series between Boston and Toronto.
Boston went 3-1 in the series while averaging 24.7 assists per game during the wins. That stat includes a resounding 122-100 win during the seeding games which featured 27 assists.
To the contrary, the C’s tallied just 18 assists during their lone loss to Toronto back on Dec. 28. Boston did shoot just 39.7 percent from the field during that game, but that percentage was in part a byproduct of lack of ball movement.
As further evidence, Boston was a perfect 14-0 during the regular season when it dished out at least 27 assists, and it was 20-5 when it tallied at least 25 assists. The C’s averaged just 19 assists against an inferior Philadelphia defense during the first round, so they’ll need to play a different type of offense during this round in order to be successful.
