Pop rips GOP over elections
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on Saturday decried efforts by Republican leaders in Texas to emulate recent action taken by Georgia Republicans to massively overhaul state election law, which critics say is a bid to suppress Democratic votes.
“I just think of our own state here in Texas, and we are doing the same things that just happened in Georgia as far as voting rights are concerned,” Popovich said. “We have a governor (Greg Abbott), a lieutenant governor (Dan Patrick) and an attorney general (Ken Paxton) who helped promote the idea the election was stolen. They conducted themselves in such a way to help a lot of people to believe the big lie that Joe Biden did not win the election.
“And they knew better. They are not idiots. They are deceitful, disingenuous, cynical and very dangerous people to our democracy. And what they are trying to do in our state mirrors what has happened in Georgia. So, hopefully, people understand that these are not people to be believed.”
Although he admitted last month there were no known cases of voter fraud in the state in 2020, Abbott has taken steps through legistlative action to ensure what he called “election integrity” in Texas.
Abbott, Patrick and Paxton did not respond to requests for comment.
Reacting to a question during a pre-game media session about Atlanta losing this summer’s Major League Baseball All-star Game on Friday over objections to the changes to Georgia voting laws, Popovich called on the public to look with skepticism at efforts by Republicans in other states to take similar action.
MLB yanking the Allstar Game from Atlanta marked the first economic penalty against Georgia after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the sweeping changes into law last month. The Atlanta Hawks, the WNBA’S Atlanta Dream, the Atlanta Falcons and the CEOS of Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and Coca-cola also joined the corporate backlash.
Kemp said Democrats have mischaracterized the law’s purpose, the Associated Press reported. The law includes enhanced legislative control over the way elections are conducted and restrictions on voting by mail.
Popovich, coach of the 2021 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team and an Air Force Academy graduate who served as an intelligience officer in Turkey during the Cold War, and other critics believe GOP lawmakers initiated the changes partly because of false claims of fraud in the 2020 elections by former President Donald Trump and his supporters.
“This is a time where it’s dangerous territory, as most people understand, for the democracy,” Popovich said. “And standing up for principles that represent our country, the majority of people, are very important right now rather than allegiance to one individual, which is what a lot of this is about.”
In Texas, major corporations have condemned Republican legislative proposals — House Bill 6 and Senate Bill 7 — they say would limit voter access. Fort Worth-based American Airlines targeted Senate Bill 7, which the state Senate approved last week.
“We are strongly opposed to this bill and others like it,” American wrote in a statement. “As a Texas-based business, we must stand up for the rights of our team members and customers who call Texas home, and honor the sacrifices made by generations of Americans to protect and expand the right to vote.”
Dieng upgraded; Walker still out
After missing two consecutive games with a right shoulder sprain, recently acquired Spurs big man Gorgui Dieng has been upgraded to questionable for Monday night’s game against Cleveland, according to Sunday’s injury report.
Dieng suffered the injury in his Spurs debut against Sacramento last Wednesday.
Swingman Lonnie Walker IV is listed as out for Monday’s game. It will be the eighth game in a row the Spurs will be without Walker, who averages 11.4 points per game. They are 2-5 in that span.
“He can do it all,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said of the versatile Walker. “His game speaks for itself. If you watched the Spurs this season, if you’ve seen Lonnie play since he’s been here, you know we miss him, honestly.”
Popovich praises choice of Hill
Popovich called the decision to name Hall of Famer Grant Hill as the successor to Jerry Colangelo as managing director of Team USA a “great choice.”
USA Basketball announced Saturday that Hill would replace Colangelo after the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
A seven-time All-star during an 18-season NBA career that ended after the 2012-13 season, Hill won two national titles at Duke and a gold medal with Team USA at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
“He’s knowledgeable, respected, knows how to handle himself, a deep thinker, been around a long time and seen a lot,” Popovich said.
Colangelo’s involvement with USA Basketball began in 2005.
“He’s got big shoes to fill,” Popovich said of Hill. “Jerry Colangelo … over a long period of time has done an outstanding job. He’s done it with class and really represented the United States in the best ways with what he did for USA Basketball.”