Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash spoke about the shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright. The Nets were scheduled to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, but the Wright shooting caused the league to postpone the game. The shooting occurred in Minnesota, and riots occurred in response.
The league rescheduled the game for Tuesday night.
Nash was asked about his thoughts about the Wright shooting before the Nets played the Timberwolves. “More senseless tragedy,” Nash said. “Heartbreaking for everyone, I think, I hope, to be in a civilization that behaves this way. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be African-American, to be an African-American parent,” the Hall of Famer told the media. “It’s unacceptable, and it’s devastating to put yourself in their shoes, and it’s devastating just to be a part of it.”
Both the Nets and Timberwolves wore black shirts captioned, “With liberty and justice for all,” during warmups and the national anthem. A moment of silence was held as a picture of Wright with his young child was shown on the Target Center video board.
“It’s the same thing over and over again,” Nash continued. “People are losing their lives for no reason, and it’s been happening for hundreds of years and we’re still here in 2021. So, it’s a tough time,” the head coach said. “A tough time for basketball to be at the forefront but at the same time we have to move forward and take care of our responsibilities amidst such a devastating situation.”
Wright was fatally shot by police after being pulled over for driving with expired license plates. Police then attempted to arrest Wright because they found out that he had an outstanding warrant. A struggle ensued when Wright attempted to re-enter his vehicle. During the struggle, an officer fatally shot Wright as he drove away.
Officer Kimberly A. Potter was revealed to have fired the fatal shot. Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said that Potter intended to fire a taser and not the gun. Both Gannon and Potter resigned from their respective positions.
