Kings: Mike Brown, Fellow Coaches Send out Powerful Message in the Wake of Another Mass Shooting
By Rolly Gacelo
(Photo : Nwachukwu/Getty Images) PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - Head coach Mike Brown of the Sacramento Kings reacts during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on December 13, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Sacramento Kings won in a dominating fashion against the Utah Jazz in their NBA 2023-2024 season debut, but that is far from the concern of head coach Mike Brown.
America was shocked for the nth time by a mass shooting that killed at least 16 people and wounded several others.
The but is still at large.
What would've been a celebration of the return of the world's top basketball game turned into a nightmare because of the incident.
Brown felt exhausted after the game, not because of basketball but because of the state of America and its gun violence.
"It's sad that we sit here and watch this happen time, after time, after time, after time, and nobody does anything about it," Brown told reporters. "It's a sad day."
Gun Violence Archive has listed 487 mass shootings in the United States. At least 571 people have been killed, and 1,947 were injured.
NBA coaches have been vocal about gun violence
Brown is not the first NBA coach to use his platform to call for greater protection of citizens amidst the almost daily occurrences of mass shootings in the country.
Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovic of the San Antonio Spurs in April called out the government for not acting on the root cause of the violence.
He is also worried about his grandchildren, whom he drops off at school, as they might become victims of shooting, too.
Popovich's former assistant and Golden State Warriors coach, Steve Kerr, was also very vocal about his stance on the issue.
In a passionate plea, he as the root cause of the senseless killings.
"I can't emphasize this enough: If we're going to move forward with Brady's plan for gun safety reform, we need to join forces to overcome Mitch McConnell and the NRA's dangerous inaction. Together we're unstoppable, and I hope you'll join me in this fight to take action on gun violence."
