Over the weekend, the country was once again rocked by a pair of mass shootings. Thirty-one people died and dozens others were injured in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio after a pair of gunmen walked into a Walmart and a bar. In the wake of yet another endless string of shooting sprees, the debate has only further entrenched critics on both sides about causes, prevention, and where the responsibility ultimately lies.
The NBA at large tends to fall firmly on the side of sensible gun control measures that limit access to the types of weapons that only facilitate the ability to inflict maximum death and destruction in these scenarios, measures that are already in place in other countries around the world. Steve Kerr, who has long been a vocal supporter of stricter gun control legislation — not to mention an outspoken critic of the Trump administration and its mishandling of this and numerous other issues — challenged lawmakers on Monday to take action and get military-style assault rifles out of the hands of the general public.
Gregg Popovich piggybacked on those comments on Tuesday after USA Basketball practice in Las Vegas, as Team USA gears up for the coming FIBA World Cup. Popovich echoed many of Kerr’s same sentiments, but with his own darkly irascible wit.
USA Basketball’s Gregg Popovich on the congressional recess: “It would be a lot better if the people in power got off their a—es and got something done. I think they’re on vacation. They’ll fix the gun situation, the environment and the inequality in pay when they come back.” pic.twitter.com/xzx2GYi5bX
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 6, 2019
Sarcasm aside, Popovich appears to be tired of the inaction shown by those in Washington about the most pressing issues in society. He’s never been shy about using his platform to call for widespread change, and while he seems somewhat resigned to nihilism regarding whether Congress will do anything upon its return to D.C., that certainly doesn’t mean he’s going to stop trying.
