Athletes Stand In Solidarity | Dunk Bait

Yahoo Sports Videos

June 1, 2020 at 9:00 AM

On this episode of Dunk Bait we talk athletes standing in solidarity and the NBA inching closer to restarting the season.

Video Transcript

LAJETHRO JENKINS: All right, unless you're hiding under a rock, you have seen that it feels like-- how do I even say this

[BLEEP]

ZACH SCHWARTZ: This is so difficult, bro.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

LAJETHRO JENKINS: All right, welcome the "Dunk Bait." Normally, we talk basketball, but being what's going on, we would be doing you a disservice to only focus on that. So we'll be talking athletes and activism, talk a little bit about the NBA coming back. So in the wake of the George Floyd police brutality issue, we've seen people protesting nationwide, even globally. And we've seen a lot of athletes step up in showing solidarity too. How do y'all feel about that?

JOSIAH JOHNSON: I remember when I first saw the video of the George Floyd incident, obviously, which was part of some of the most foul [BLEEP] I think I've ever seen in my life, obviously knee on his neck for nine minutes-- but I'm looking at this dude. I'm like, damn. This dude looks a lot like Steven Jackson, now come to find out that they're boys. They're both from Texas. So me seeing [INAUDIBLE], you know, a dude who I really respect and admire, step into the forefront, using his platform, he went right out to Minneapolis, joined the family, obviously, said some words, and tried to just rally people.

When you looked at the whole Kaepernick situation, four years ago, obviously, when he was blackballed by the NFL for trying to peacefully protest and raise awareness about these social injustice that keep going on, black people keep being killed in the streets at the hands of police brutality, I think there was kind of a lot of people saying, oh, well, you need to do this a certain way. This isn't the time or place. But now what we're saying is that any time is a time or place.

And like MLK said, a riot is the voice of the unheard. You're all hearing people now. You know what I'm saying? And people are making sure you're all hearing them. So maybe, obviously, it's time for a change. And it's cool to see athletes. They're all stepping up and showing solidarity with people. Because they realize regardless of your stature of who you are, in this world, you're still a black man when you get pulled over by the cops.

ZACH SCHWARTZ: Jaylen Brown, I thought that was incredible. He drove 15 hours to Atlanta to lead this peaceful protest. I thought that was incredibly powerful. To see someone like Taylor Swift, who is notoriously just sat on the sidelines for a lot of political things, for her to come out and kind of speak towards this just sort of shows how big this is and how important this issue is.

JOSIAH JOHNSON: When you've got the heat, the hunger, and the rona, people are already bitter. People don't have bread right now. People are frustrated. They're stir crazy. This is going to be a summer for the ages. So I hope that we will able to still get the message across and understand why we're doing this thing. We're doing this thing to honor the legacy of memory of people like George Floyd, of Ahmaud Arbery, of Briana Taylor, of all these-- Tamir Rice, all these names that-- Mike Brown-- all these names that we've continued to have.

I know I've got 30, 40 black names in my head of just people who've gotten killed by police. I never met these people in my life. I feel like I know more about them than some of my family and friends just because of how much. We've had to see this situation happen. So at some point, there needs to be a resolution-- obviously, the protest. And that's going to get the conversation going. But where do we go from there is my question.

In lighter, more positive news, there's been discussions ongoing between the NBA Adam Silver and the board of governors. It appears that we're on track for the season to start July 31. They're obviously still working out the finer points. Do you guys think it's a good move for this league to come back July 31?

LAJETHRO JENKINS: I think them going through everything possible is good. It's just too many moving pieces, too many risks. If somebody catches it, are they going to shut it all down? They have to draw some interesting lines that may not be the most ethical. I'm hopeful. I love basketball. I'd love to see basketball again, but not at the risk of anybody's health.

ZACH SCHWARTZ: I think it's coming back. I think it'll be great for us to have it back. I think it's nice that what they're saying, it's going to be only 22 teams. I don't need the Knicks to be there. Why would I watch them? Let's slim this down a little bit. If it's working for the Bundesliga in Germany, their soccer league-- you get the Premier League coming back in two weeks-- I think you're starting to see that they're starting to figure out how they can move these things in the right direction.

JOSIAH JOHNSON: I mean, they're talking about whoever wins this year gets an asterisk. But, to me, honestly, I've seen-- I've watched basketball for a long time. I've never seen dudes have to operate and play in conditions like this. We're really going to see who really loves the game, who really been putting in the work. Because it's easy to let obstacles and things get in the way of playing basketball. But the guys who really love the game I'm sure are figuring out ways, even if that meant doing workouts that weren't quote, unquote, "social distancing" or adhering to all the quarantine and that type of stuff.

ZACH SCHWARTZ: A lot of these dudes didn't have access to a hoop. So I'm like, what is basketball going to look like? Is it going to look like when Bob Cousy was playing? These guys like just dribbling in circles? Throwing layups on the backboard?

LAJETHRO JENKINS: It's going to be starting off at least.

ZACH SCHWARTZ: For sure, a lot of bricks.

LAJETHRO JENKINS: All right, well, that's "Dunk Bait." I'm LaJethro Jenkins.

JOSIAH JOHNSON: Kingjosiah54.

ZACH SCHWARTZ: I'm Zach Schwartz. Thanks for the time, guys. Stay safe.

LAJETHRO JENKINS: Y'all stay safe, for sure.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Reuters
Factbox-Key issues for South African voters in wide open 2024 election
South Africans will vote in a national election on May 29 with an unprecedented sense of uncertainty about the outcome, as polls suggest the African National Congress will lose its majority after 30 years in power. With coalition government looking like a possibility for the first time since the end of apartheid, a dizzying array of 70 parties from Marxists to social democrats to free marketeers are vying for voters' attention in the last weeks of campaigning. The following are the key issues that matter to voters who will elect a new National Assembly that will then choose the next president.
Associated Press
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament. Monday’s polling in the fourth round of multi-phase national elections across nine states and one union territory will be pivotal for Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, as it includes some of its strongholds in states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Associated Press
Small, well-built Chinese EV called the Seagull poses a big threat to the US auto industry
A tiny, low-priced electric car called the Seagull has American automakers and politicians trembling. The car, launched last year by Chinese automaker BYD, sells for around $12,000 in China, but drives well and is put together with craftsmanship that rivals U.S. electric vehicles that cost three times as much. Tariffs on imported Chinese vehicles will keep the Seagull out of America for now, and it likely would sell for more than 12 grand if imported.
Reuters
Indonesia's Mt Ibu erupts, spewing ash clouds
Indonesia's Ibu volcano erupted on Monday morning, spewing thick columns of grey ash several kilometres into the sky, the country's volcanology agency said. The volcano on the remote island of Halmahera erupted at 9.12 a.m. (0012 GMT) for about five minutes, projecting ash into the sky as high as 5 km (3.1 miles), officials said.
Reuters
Turkish and Greek leaders set for talks to maintain positive momentum
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will visit Turkey on Monday for talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan aimed at maintaining the positive momentum achieved in bilateral ties in recent months despite lingering problems between the neighbours. Turkey and Greece, NATO allies and historic foes, have long been at odds over issues including maritime boundaries, energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean, flights over the Aegean Sea, and ethnically split Cyprus. After years of tensions that brought the two to the brink of conflict, Ankara and Athens started taking high profile steps to improve their ties in recent years, notably last year after both leaders were re-elected.
Associated Press
Stock market today: Asian stocks drift after Wall Street closes another winning week
Asian stocks were mostly lower on Monday after Wall Street coasted to the close of another winning week. U.S. futures were mixed and oil prices fell. The release of weak Chinese lending data and news that the U.S. government plans to raise tariffs o a raft of Chinese exports were weighing on sentiment.
TODAY
Dylan Dreyer celebrates Mother's Day and her 7-year-old son's major milestone
Dylan Dreyer celebrated Mother's Day and her son's First Communion this weekend. See her adorable photos.
CNN
Putin replaces Russia’s defense minister with a civilian as Ukraine war rages and defense spending spirals
Russian President Vladimir Putin has replaced his defense minister and close ally Sergei Shoigu with a civilian economist, a major reshuffle of military leadership more than two-years after Moscow’s grinding war against Ukraine has sent defense spending soaring.
Time
Why China, the U.S., and Big Tech Are Racing to Harness Quantum Computing and AI
Whether competition between the world’s superpowers stymies overall progress on AI and quantum—or pushes each to accelerate these technologies—could have far-reaching consequences.
Associated Press
Germany limits cash benefit payments for asylum-seekers. Critics say it's designed to curb migration
When Erdina Laca goes grocery shopping in Eichsfeld these days, she pulls out a special payment card that’s for asylum-seekers only. Laca, 45, came from Albania with her husband and three children and applied for asylum in Germany last September. The family lives in the county of Eichsfeld in the eastern state of Thuringia and has been one of the first in the country to receive half of their government benefits in the form of cashless payments on a plastic card.
AFP
India vote resumes with Kashmir poised to oppose Modi
India's six-week election resumed Monday including in Kashmir, where voters are expected to show their discontent with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cancellation of their disputed territory's semi-autonomy and the security crackdown that followed."What we're telling voters now is that you have to make your voice heard," said former chief minister Omar Abdullah, whose National Conference party is campaigning for the restoration of Kashmir's former semi-autonomy.
CNN
Deadly cold lava flow from active volcano and widespread flooding hits Indonesia
At least 37 people have been killed, and more than a dozen injured on the Indonesian island of Sumatra after heavy rains triggered flash flooding and a cold lava flow from an active volcano, search and rescue officials said on Sunday.
Associated Press
Vast coin collection of Danish magnate is going on sale a century after his death
The vast coin collection of a Danish butter magnate is set to finally go on sale a century after his death, and could fetch up to $72 million. Lars Emil Bruun, also known as L.E. Bruun, stipulated in his will that his 20,000-piece collection be safeguarded for 100 years before being sold. Deeply moved by the devastation of World War I, he wanted the collection to be a reserve for Denmark, fearing another war.
Associated Press
Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president. Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and personal fixer, is by far the Manhattan district attorney's most important witness in the case and his expected appearance signals that the trial is entering its final stretch. Cohen is expected to testify about his role in arranging hush money payments on Trump's behalf during his first presidential campaign, including to porn actor Stormy Daniels, who told jurors last week that the $130,000 that she received in 2016 was meant to prevent her from going public about a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump in a hotel suite a decade earlier.
Associated Press
Sleepy far-flung towns in the Philippines will host US forces returning to counter China threats
The far-flung coastal town of Santa Ana in the northeastern tip of the Philippine mainland has long been known by tourists for its beaches, waterfalls, fireflies and a few casinos. The United States and the Philippines, which are longtime treaty allies, have identified Santa Ana in northern Cagayan province as one of nine mostly rural areas where rotating batches of American forces could encamp indefinitely and store their weapons and equipment on local military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. Thousands of U.S. forces withdrew from two huge Navy and Air Force bases in the Philippines in the early 1990s at the end of the Cold War, ending nearly a century of American military presence in the country.
NBC News
Thomas Jefferson University apologizes after commencement mispronunciations go viral
Thomas Jefferson University is apologizing after the names of some graduates from the nursing program were unrecognizably pronounced at their commencement, as seen in videos from the ceremony that have since gone viral.
Associated Press
Jury selection to begin in the corruption trial of Sen. Bob Menendez
Jury selection was scheduled to start Monday in the trial of Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat charged with accepting bribes of gold and cash to use his influence to deliver favors that would aid three New Jersey businessmen. Menendez, 70, will stand trial in Manhattan federal court along with two of the businessmen — real estate developer Fred Daibes and Wael Hana. A third businessman has pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the other defendants.
Associated Press
Violence is traumatizing Haitian kids. Now the country's breaking a taboo on mental health services
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Students often throw up or wet themselves when gunfire erupts outside their school in northern Port-au-Prince. When they do, school director Roseline Ceragui Louis finds there's only one way to try to calm the children and keep them safe: getting them to lie on the classroom floor while she sings softly. Haiti's capital is under the onslaught of powerful gangs that control 80% of of the city.
Associated Press
Trump suggests Chinese migrants are in the US to build an 'army.' The migrants tell another story
It was 7 a.m. on a recent Friday when Wang Gang, a 36-year-old Chinese immigrant, jostled for a day job in New York City's Flushing neighborhood. It would be another day without a job since he crossed the southern U.S. border illegally in February, seeking better financial prospects than he had in his hometown of Wuhan, China. The daily struggle of Chinese immigrants in Flushing is a far cry from the picture former President Donald Trump and other Republicans have sought to paint of them as a coordinated group of “military-age” men who have come to the United States to build an “army” and attack America.
Associated Press
More bodies found in Indonesia after flash floods killed dozens and submerged homes
Rescuers recovered more bodies Monday after monsoon rains triggered flash floods on Indonesia's Sumatra Island, bringing down torrents of cold lava and mud, leaving 41 people dead and another 17 missing. The heavy rains, along with a landslide of mud and cold lava from Mount Marapi, caused a river to breach its banks. The deluge tore through mountainside villages along four districts in West Sumatra province just before midnight Saturday.

Video Transcript

Latest Stories