PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- Sixers head coach Doc Rivers is used to being an influential voice on human rights issues both in public and in private.
He spoke out in the tense summer of 2020 when cities erupted in reaction to the killing of George Floyd and the police shooting of Jacob Blake. And on Wednesday night, while the U.S. Capitol was under siege by a violent mob of Donald Trump supporters attempting to stop the certification of Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 Election, Rivers again showed his even hand.
Before and after his team improved to an NBA-best 7-1 record with a 141-136 win over the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center, the coach answered a lot of questions about the events unfolding in Washington, D.C.
"It’s pretty disturbing, obviously. Sad,” Rivers said
Yet, while he was clearly disgusted at what happened, for a variety of reasons, he had the optimism to say that he did not think it was an attack on democracy.
"It’s not," he said. "Democracy will prevail. It always does."
It felt as if Rivers was back to his days as a player, changing speed on the floor as a point guard is supposed to do.
He followed with some observations about the double standard he saw in law enforcement's treatment of the mob of mostly, if not entirely, white people.
“What fell on me is if Martin Luther King had said, 'I have a dream' today and then said, 'Now let’s go storm the Capitol' -- there would’ve been bloodshed," he said, though he twice acknowledged U.S. Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed in Wednesday's melee.
"It basically proves the point about a privileged life in a lot of ways. I’ll say it because I don’t think a lot of people want to: Could you imagine today if those were all Black people storming the Capitol, and what would’ve happened?" he said before the game.
He compared Wednesday to the protests and riots of last summer, when the National Guard was called to various cities, and Philadelphia police tear-gassed people peacefully protesting police brutality.
He said the leniency of law enforcement in Washington amid the invasion "shows you can disperse a crowd peacefully, I guess."
After the game, Rivers followed up.
"It just tells you that we can handle things differently," Rivers said. "When Black people in the past have protested, they called them looters and rioters. Today, they kept calling (Trump supporters) protesters for the most part, and then it changed.
“And so for a lot of people today, I think a lot of things changed for the better because of what happened. I really believe that. So, hopefully this is the first step to healing a country," he said.
While Rivers strongly condemned the mob in D.C., and recognized that no criminal charges were filed against the Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer who shot Blake over the summer, he also conveyed a message of encouragement to his players.
"I told our guys before the game, though, this is America right now, and it’s better than it was 10 years ago. And it may not feel that way right now, but young people are engaged, and they're voting, and it’s beautiful to watch. And it’s (just) not young Black people. It’s young people of all colors, of races, of gender. They showed out — the young people did — and I’m just very proud of all of them."
And with Congress back in session after evacuating during the Capitol breach, Rivers said, democracy still works, and he hopes the incoming administration can help heal America.
“This country needs to be healed. There’s no doubt about it," he said.
Sixers forward Tobias Harris said it means a lot to him that Rivers actively speaks up against injustice, and he appreciates his words and perspective.
Shooting guard Seth Curry, Rivers’ son-in-law, complimented the coach's leadership, honesty and commitment.
There were demonstrations all around the NBA on Wednesday night in response to the events of this week. The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat left the court before their game, but ultimately decided to play.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons took a knee after the opening tip-off of their game.
The Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors stood at mid-court in a circle of unity.
And players throughout the NBA echoed Rivers' strong sentiments.
Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon said, "If these were Black people that were storming the Capitol, they would end up with the largest massacre in U.S. History."
Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal — who dropped 60 on the Sixers in their defeat — couldn’t believed what happened in the city his team plays for.
“They invaded the Capitol,” Beal said. “That’s unheard of.”
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, who is never shy to share his opinion, didn’t mince words when he said the news out of Wisconsin was still fresh in his mind when he saw how the rioting was being handled in D.C.
“It’s just like a slap in the face and almost a F***-you to every Black person in America who goes through these things,” Green said.
Green ended the postgame press conference by making sure everyone knew what he thinks of the Trump supporters who invaded the Capitol.
“And it’s shameful to keep calling them protesters. They’re not (expletive) protesters. They’re (expletive) terrorists.”
The NBA, and Americans everywhere, are still processing the events of the last two days.