Spurs' Gregg Popovich at social justice summit: 'I live in a country I did not know exists'
Gregg Popovich is an all-time great NBA coach
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is never one to shy away from touching on hot button issues and giving his own hot take about the state of the country.
Popovich was in New York City on Saturday and spoke at Jay-Z’s social justice summit. The event honored attorney Barry Scheck for his work on the Innocence Project.
During his speech, Popovich said he did not know there were racists "to this level" in the U.S.
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Award recipient Barry Scheck and Gregg Popovich pose for a photo together as United Justice Coalition hosts Inaugural Social Justice Summit with acclaimed activists, entertainers, attorneys, experts and more at Center415 on July 23, 2022 in New York City. (Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for United Justice Coalition)
"This is the country we live in. I don’t have the answers, but it pisses me off. It hurts me. It confounds me. And I wonder where the hell will I live? I live in a country I did not know exists. I knew there were racists, I understand that. But I had no idea it was to this level, and that the injustice and the seeking of power was so rampant that we are in the position we’re in now," he said.
Popovich has made his political stances quite clear over the last five years.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He has routinely slammed former President Trump and other Republican politicians over their policies.
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Head Coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2022 play-in tournament on April 13, 2022 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)
In 2020, he supported the vote in Austin to reduce the police budget and called Trump "obviously racist" and called those who did not understand the Black Lives Matter movement "just ignorant."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In February 2021, he called a second Trump impeachment a "good move" following the Capitol riots. He slammed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in March 2021 for lifting mask mandates and later that year likened Christopher Columbus to Adolph Hitler.
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich signals to his players during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Monday, March 7, 2022, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Aside from that, Popovich has led the Spurs to five NBA championships. He’s also the all-time regular-season wins leader with 1,344 victories under his belt.