In wake of news, Silas stresses control, safety
Rockets coach Stephen Silas knew his players’ thoughts and conversations had turned toward the news in the wake of the killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minn., and the trial of former police offer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
He had no interest in changing the subject, no chance to solve the problem. But he sought a way to deal with the myriad of reactions by seeking some control.
The idea, he said Thursday, was not just to help avoid a potentially frustrating, infuriating or even tragic situation, but to deal with the emotions that come with the incidents that had filled news reports and social media posts.
“It was difficult,” Silas said of his conversation with Rockets players Monday. “I was really trying to figure out a way to do it smartly and kind of take the emotion out of it I guess, and to really focus on how I could help. In basketball, in this season … just really focusing on what we can control and the controllables.
“That’s kind of how I framed it to the team as far as there are certain things you can control. Controlling those things are having your tags up to date, making sure your turn signals are working correctly, making sure your drivers’ licenses are up to date, making sure if you have any parking tickets, making sure they are taken care of, making sure there are no outstanding warrants or anything in your name.
“Unfortunately, you are kind of at the whim of whoever is controlling the situation, which isn’t you. That’s so unfortunate but if you focus on what you can control, it will help hopefully. It was an important message, I guess. I didn’t take it lightly at all. My thing was, ‘How can I help these guys.’ Hopefully, they don’t have to go through some of the situations we’re seeing throughout the country.”
Silas said finding a way to empower his players in any way felt more appropriate for the pregame talk Monday in Phoenix than just to talk about the events themselves.
“I kind of wanted to stay away from the emotions that you see,” he said. “The emotions of interviews with family members, the emotions of all the things you see and read about. These guys are always on Instagram. It can be a super, super emotional thing.”
Silas also wanted to help put his players in position “to where maybe it doesn’t happen to them.” But there was no escape from the emotions.
“It’s very disturbing,” Rockets guard John Wall said on Wednesday. “We keep dealing with the same thing over and over. It’s just frustrating. I could have been the same, got pulled over for something I didn’t know was going on. And I don’t get a chance to go home to my two kids and to my family I have. That’s the frustrating part about it.
“Something coach said to us, it’s very important to make sure our tags are up to date, make sure our license plates are up to date. All those things you want to try to avoid. Stopping at a light. Turning on you signal. All those things we’re getting pulled over for. It’s frustrating because what if I didn’t turn my left signal on a turn. I could lose my life.”
Wall also cited the case outside Columbia, S.C. where Army sergeant Jonathan Pentland was charged Wednesday with third degree assault for confronting and threatening a Black man and demanding he leave a neighborhood.
“You should look at this thing that happened in South Carolina,” Wall said. “A Black kid living in the neighborhood, walking around. You’re telling me just because you ain’t seen me before I don’t belong in this neighborhood.”