Doc Rivers was fortunate to meet Rep. John Lewis several times and the LA Clippers coach hopes to continue Lewis’ fight for equality and liberty.
As the NBA mourned the passing of the civil rights icon and longtime U.S. congressman on Saturday morning, Rivers reflected on Lewis’ life spent fighting for civil rights, equal justice and freedom and how carrying on his legacy now is vital with the upcoming election.
“Really sad day for our country,” Rivers said before practice Saturday. “What is amazing is when you think of right now, some of the stuff that John Lewis was fighting for, we’re still fighting for. Voter suppression right now is at an all-time high.
“It’s amazing how hard we have a group of people who are trying to get people not to vote. Latinos, Blacks and young people are the targets. That’s what they are trying to get not to vote. It’s amazing when you think about how long ago that was and yet we are still fighting that fight.”
Rivers was one of many in the NBA community who paid tribute to Lewis, the civil rights legend who died Friday night of pancreatic cancer at 80. Lewis, who had his skull fractured by an Alabama state trooper on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma during a march for voting rights to Montgomery, was the last surviving speaker from the March on Washington in 1963.
“The NBA Family mourns the passing of Rep. John Lewis, a great American hero and icon of the civil rights movement and the fight for equality who helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation and social injustice.” the league said in a statement Saturday.
Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said the first time he met Lewis, he was so emotional shaking Lewis’ hand “because it was such an important life event for me.”
“John Lewis’ stature in the Civil Rights Movement was gigantic and the example he set for people like myself will endure,” Abdul-Jabbar tweeted. “I’m glad that he got to see the efforts of his past 60 years of activism bear such precious fruit these last few months as people took to the streets, just as he had, to fight for a just and free America.”
Tweeted Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul, who is the NBPA president: “Thank you for keeping the dream alive all these years and paving the way for us.”
Rivers recalled one moment with Lewis that will stay with the Clippers coach for the rest of his life.
While playing for the Atlanta Hawks in 1990, Rivers joined Lewis on Andrew Young’s campaign trail to Albany, Ga. Young, the former Mayor of Atlanta and Ambassador to the United Nations, was running for Governor of Georgia.
“Andrew Young gave a speech at an all-White church,” Rivers said. “He was fantastic. It was an absolutely amazing speech. The crowd was going crazy. We get on the plane and Andrew Young says, ‘Young Doc, what did you think of the speech?’ I jokingly said, ‘Well, Mr. Young, I thought the speech was great. But I don’t think you’re getting one vote from that church.’
“Everybody started laughing. And John Lewis piped in and says, ‘Well, we are not trying to get all of them. We are just trying to get one at a time. And eventually it will be all of ’em.’ I thought that was one powerful statement.”
