San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is not afraid to voice his opinion on the issues of the day. Whether it’s politics or sports, he’s among the most boisterous coaches in the sports world.
That did not change with Popovich in Oakland to take on the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. When posed with a question about Bay Area icon and free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick — an embattled national figure — Pop compared him to other divisive figures from the past. That includes the late-great Muhammad Ali.
Spurs coach Greg Popovich believes @Kaepernick7 will one day be celebrated like Ali, Tommie Smith & John Carlos are now after being vilified. “(Kaepernick) was very courageous in what he did. He did it for the right reasons. The same story will unwind as time goes on,” – Popovich
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 7, 2019
These comments themselves will prove to be divisive. Given the similarities between how Ali, Tommie Smith and John Carlos were treated in comparison to the modern-day Kaepernick, it does make some sense.
Remember, Ali was convicted of draft evasion and initially sentenced to five years in prison after refusing to report for military service during Vietnam. As for Carlos and Smith, they were blacklisted from international competition after the two track and field athletes protested racial inequality during he 1968 Olympics.
The comparisons make sense in that regard. Though, we have no idea how history will treat Kaepernick. The former Super Bowl quarterback has not played a down in the NFL since he started a national anthem protest around the league back in 2017. He’s currently suing the NFL — claming owners have conspired to keep him out of the league.