Gregg Popovich keeps it real on race in America

If you only watch San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich during games, you would think he is a man of very few words. That’s actually not the case. At Spurs media day Monday, Popovich was asked the same question that so many others in sports and beyond have been asked: What do you think about San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick?

Popovich brought up some salient points. He talked about why Kaepernick was actually protesting and what people think he’s protesting.

“A pretty good group of people immediately thought he was disrespecting the military,” Popovich said. “That had nothing to do with his protest. In fact, he was able to do what he did because of what the military does for us. Most thinking people understand that, but there is always going to be an element that wants to jump on a bandwagon and that’s what is unfortunate about our country. It’s gotten to a point where the civility and the level of discourse is basically in the gutter.”

Popovich’s comments came after Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr’s last week. After the fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Kerr spoke on Kaepernick and race relations nationwide.

“It doesn’t matter what side you’re on, on the Kaepernick stuff, you better be disgusted about things that are happening,” Kerr said.

The comments from both coaches have been pretty well-received on social media:

If the country were full of understanding leaders like Gregg Popovich and Steve Kerr we wouldn't have Kaepernick's protest.

— TheJayGravesReport (@jaygravesreport) September 28, 2016

Another reason Popovich my favorite coach ever

— #WhateverTheySay👀Did👀DidIt (@Ed_Wells10) September 28, 2016

Gregg Popovich is so real!

— Javon (@javonwomack) September 28, 2016

Watch Popovich’s comments below: