Voting very dear to coach’s heart

Rockets’ D’Antoni champions importance of informed electorate, applauds initiatives

Difficult as living in the bubble has been, with time spent largely in the gym or hotel room removed from family, there is an advantage.

More than ever in the two months the NBA has been isolated on its central Florida campus, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni found both the challenges and benefits have been increased amid the outrage and emotions the week’s news inspired.

Players, coaches and staff members cannot be where they want to be. But they can be together, having the sorts of conversations D’Antoni said are valuable there and beyond.

While applauding the agreements the NBA and players reached on initiatives to support for voting education and rights, a cause he has championed throughout the NBA restart, D’Antoni said those talks are not a solution but a start.

“You know, the one byproduct of being in the bubble together for how long we’ve been here, a couple months I guess, it really builds strong relationships,” D’Antoni said. “Going through a shared experience together gets us closer. And just the time that we have to be able to sit in the meal room, since nobody’s running off anyplace because you have no place to go, to be able to talk about their history and their family and their needs. And it’s everybody. It’s just great.

“It’s good to get to know everybody a little bit better. When that happens … on one hand it’s super to be with these guys and understanding. You know we all want to go forward. We just want a better place.”

To do that, D’Antoni has been addressing the need for informed and involved voters and to protect voting rights, wearing that messaging on shirts he wears in media sessions almost every day and speaking about the issue often.

Friday, a day after the Rockets and the Harris County Clerk’s office announced the Toyota Center will serve as a voting center for the upcoming 2020 presidential election, the NBA and NBPA announced that arenas owned and operated by NBA franchises will also use their facilities as polling places.

“I think that’s probably the most important thing that we can do,” D’Antoni said. “Everybody has the constitutional right to vote, and we need to do that. We can’t take it for granted. It’s the only way democracy survives. People will get out and actually, you know, take an hour out of your day or two hours or 10 hours, whatever it is, to vote. And be sure you can vote. Be sure that you’re registered. Be sure that you plan for it.

“Really proud of the Houston Rockets and the city of Houston that Toyota Center is a voting place now, something that was needed. And really, you know it’s not the first time you’re proud of Houstonians and Houston. It’s a great city. Just work together and get people on the same page, doing the best you can, we can make this place a little bit better. There’s no reason not to have empathy, keep the conversation going, learn the history and then get out and vote. That’s what our democracy is about.”

In addition to the voting initiatives the league, players and network partners will produce advertising to be shown during games “dedicated to promoting greater civic engagement in national and local elections and raising awareness around voter access and opportunity.”

The accord between the NBA and NBPA came from several days of talks needed to restart the playoffs following protests following the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29year-old Black man in Kenosha, Wis. But players have said they needed the pause to regroup for the playoffs that began again Saturday.

D’Antoni, however, said there are still challenges moving from the cause to the games.

“Well, it affects everybody a little different. Some people can compartmentalize a little bit better than others,” he said. “I’m sure it’s been tough on them. It’s tough to be away from your family and your kids in these times. And that’s one thing that I think everybody feels strongly as a parent and as a father that when times are tough and news is tough that you want to be around your kids and wife and take care of them. And they’re away. So, it’s not easy.

“To be able to now get back and get to a mentality of playoffs and the level you have to be with your concentration, it’s taxing. It is hard. It is a game; we know what we’re here for. But at the same time, there is life. Each player will deal with it differently, and we’ll do the best we can to help them out and just keep going forward as best we can.”

That he said can be made easier with the conversations that continue, that come with the difficulties but also opportunities in the bubble.

“There’s some great things about being in a bubble,” D’Antoni said. “And I’m sure … that a lot of people, me included, want to be home with their wife or a family. But this is the job we have right now. We’ll do it.”