Gregg Popovich Backs 'Patriotic' Colin Kaepernick at Team USA Camp
By Jerry Trotta
Colin Kaepernick is (somehow) still a trending topic of discussion despite not playing in the NFL for over three years. Undeterred by his apparent blackballing from the league, the former 49ers gun-slinger claims he is still in football shape if there's a team out there willing to take a chance on him.
As we know, Gregg Popovich is an adamant supporter of Kap and has defended the former Nevada star on numerous occasions. Well, the San Antonio Spurs coach, currently in camp with Team USA, spoke about him again on Tuesday, calling the 31-year-old "patriotic."
Speaking after a team practice at the Lakers' practice facility on Tuesday, USA Basketball coach Gregg Popovich said what Colin Kaepernick has done to bring light to social justice and racial inequality "was a very patriotic thing.”
— The Undefeated (@TheUndefeated) August 14, 2019
via @NotoriousOHM https://t.co/fuprDMadtQ pic.twitter.com/H9swU3fRYo
Of course, the former quarterback sparked a national debate after kneeling during the National Anthem in 2016 in order to raise awareness and protest racial oppression and police brutality. In return, Kap was besieged and lambasted by irrational critics.
Popovich, on the other hand, laughed at that ludicrous assessment.
"You can still be patriotic and understand that there still needs to be criticism and changes and more attention paid to those who do not have what other people do have, and that's where we've fallen short in a lot of different ways. Being a critic of those inequalities does not make you a non-patriot," he continued.
Gregg Popovich on Colin Kaepernick: "He cared about his country enough to fix some things that were obvious, that everybody knows about but does nothing about" https://t.co/kVeenth3lp
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 14, 2019
Popovich understands the message Kap is trying to promote and is fully supportive of the former quarterback. It's good to see that Pop's stance hasn't wavered on the matter.