Atlanta Hawks Lloyd Pierce Leadership role for Racial Injustice and Reform

Atlanta Hawks Coach Lloyd Pierce joins Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, J.B. Bickerstaff,  Quin Snyder, David Fizdale and Stan Van Gundy for a “Committee on Racial Injustice and Reform” to help NBA cities create change against racial discrimination and police brutality, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

In describing recent events of “police brutality, racial profiling and the weaponization of racism,” as “shameful, inhumane and intolerable,” the National Basketball Coaches Association establishes a committee to pursue solutions within NBA cities. Story: https://t.co/YYJcC6NIHM

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 1, 2020

The NBCA also released a statement on Monday in response to the recent death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers.

https://twitter.com/NABC1927/status/1267492006521196546?s=20

Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the family of George Floyd.

As NBA coaches — both head and assistant coaches — we lead groups of men, most of whom are African American, and we see, hear and share their feelings of disgust, frustration, helplessness and anger.

The events of the past few weeks — police brutality, racial profiling and the weaponization of racism are shameful, inhumane and intolerable.

As a diverse group of leaders, we have a responsibility to stand up and speak out for those who don’t have a voice – and to stand up and speak out for those who don’t feel it is safe to do so.

Witnessing the murder of George Floyd in cold blood and in broad daylight has traumatized our nation, but the reality is that African Americans are targeted and victimized on a daily basis. As NBA coaches, we cannot treat this as an isolated incident of outrage.

We are committed to working in our NBA cities with local leaders, officials and law enforcement agencies to create positive change in our communities.  We have the power and platform to affect change, and we will use it. 

Coach Pierce and CEO Steve Koonin, spoke to the media via Zoom on Monday about the committee’s role, racism, police brutality, and Pierce being outraged by watching a video of a white woman in Central Park calling the police on a black man. “Through her privilege, just one phone call could weaponize law enforcement to come out..she used the two words.. harassment and African-American..that’s all she needed to say.”

Pierce also spoke on George Floyd’s death. “The manner in which it happened is scary. Living in fear, being concerned when you see a police officer. As an African-American man, this isn’t new.”

“I wear my Hawks shirt often. It’s my uniform. It’s my only access to privilege here in Atlanta.”

"I wear my Hawks shirt often. It's my uniform. It's my only access to privilege here in Atlanta."

— @ATLHawks head coach @LloydPierceLP pic.twitter.com/HLt746o9LH

— Bally Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnBally) June 1, 2020

“The word we’re throwing out is ‘sustainable.’ What’s going to be sustainable, what’s going to have a lasting impact?” said Pierce