Jason Whitlock: “I think this will have deeper ramifications because I think American sports will be dramatically changed, and I think the NBA, and perhaps the NFL will be diminished moving forward. I think America’s perceptions of the athletes will be diminished. In some people’s minds, their profile will be elevated, but I think overall, the respect, and the reverence of football and basketball players, and just athletes in general will take a hit here. That’s not me choosing a side on what they’ve done either being right or wrong, that’s just me evaluating how it will be perceived. I think the NBA players have made a mistake… Chris Webber was celebrated last night on TNT for his very emotional commentary. He basically championed the fact that the players didn’t have a plan, he doesn’t have a plan, and they should ignore anybody who criticizes them for not having a plan. It made me think of the Nike slogan ‘Just Do It’… You don’t need to be strategic, and you don’t need to have a plan, ‘Just Do It’… There’s no course of action, and it’s just people doing things. Athletic culture is you don’t need a plan you just need emotion… Athletes want to involve themselves in gestures that will make them very popular on social media, but I don’t think it will affect any change… I was listening to Webber explain on TNT how they don’t need a plan, just raise awareness, don’t listen to anybody that says you’re making a mistake… I was like ‘this is the blind leading the blind’… The best you can come up with is walking off your job, and ‘raising awareness’? That’s just not good enough and it’s a joke… The NBA players think they are ‘punishing America’ by taking away your right to watch them play basketball. It’s punishment for the people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Attorney General in the state of Wisconsin, the police is Wisconsin, and the police all over America. They’re being’ punished’ because they’re taking away your right to watch and enjoy them play basketball. This is driven by a delusion and arrogance that is unprecedented.” (Full Segment Above)
Listen to Jason Whitlock join Outkick the Coverage to discuss the NBA narrowly avoiding a full boycott on the rest of the season in Orlando’s Bubble, and why he thinks the stunt in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting turned into the ‘blind leading the blind’ when it came to the protest having any sort of advantageous and tangible outcome.
Check out the segment above as Whitlock details why he think the league’s last 72 hours have irreparably diminished the future of the NBA, as well as how fans view athletes in general.
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