Stan Van Gundy has some strong thoughts about President-elect Donald J. Trump.
By unleashing a six-minute rant against Trump, Van Gundy speak for us all today.
Actually, scratch that, he speaks for a majority of us today. Not quite right ... He speaks for a plurality of us, but a decided minority of the electoral college, today.
Van Gundy has never been shy about his opinions on basketball matters, but he stepped into the political arena today and didn't hold back. In a passionate, stream-of-conciousness rant today in Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon, Van Gundy spoke for the 59,731,599 voters who voted to elect Hillary Clinton. Of course, that also means he pissed off the 59,513,953 voters who voted to elect Trump.
Somehow I don't think Van Gundy minds. He's no stranger to controversy. He'll take your scorn and chase it with a Diet Pepsi, thank you.
There are too many choice quotes to include everything so go read Vince Ellis' story, which includes a rough transcript. Here are some of the highlights:
"I don't think anybody can deny (Trump) is openly and brazenly racist and misogynistic ... "
"We have thrown a good part of our population under the bus."
"Martin Luther King said, 'The arc of the moral universe is long, but bends toward justice.' I would have believed in that for a long time, but not today."
"What we have done to minorities ... in this election is despicable."
"I'm having a hard time being with people. I'm going to walk into this arena tonight and realize that -- especially in this state -- most of these people voted for the guy. Like, (expletive), I don't have any respect for that. I don't."
"... I can't say I've ever been ashamed of our country until today. Until today."
I don't know how you go about it, if you're a person of color today or a Latino. Because white society just said to you, again -- not like we haven't forever -- but again, and emphatically, that I don't think you deserve equality. We don't think you deserve respect."
We've seen plenty of furor whenever politics leaks over into professional sports (hi, Colin Kaepernick), with many fans viewing competition as a refuge from divisivieness. But athletes and coaches, just like fans, have a political voice and can use it as they see fit.
The only thing I will note is that Van Gundy is not arguing over the politics of Trump. He is making the moral case against Trump. As Van Gundy says in his rant, it is "beyond politics."
It should be no surprise that a league that is three-quarters black and full of players in their mid-twenties is having a difficult time processing the election of Trump. It will also not be a surprise if and when there is a backlash against Van Gundy's comments from a season-ticket base that skews almost assuredly older, whiter and with the ability to raise hell if they so choose.
Trump did, after all, win Michigan.
Either way, I'm glad the Pistons have a coach who isn't afraid to speak his mind. Nobody can win a battle of ideas if everyone just keeps their thoughts to themselves.
NOTE: Many people are going to have strong feelings on either side of this issue. That's great. Talk it out. Be passionate. But remember the Community Guidelines that we all adhere to as members of DBB and SBNation. We'll do our best to give people an open forum but anything that crosses the line will be removed.