Jared Kushner said NBA players are lucky to have been able to afford the walkout.©AFP
Jared Kushner, son-in-law and senior adviser to US President Donald Trump, on Thursday criticized the walkout of NBA stars protesting racism and police brutality, saying they were lucky to be rich enough to take a night off . The Milwaukee Bucks led the boycott following another police shooting of a black man, forcing the league to pause its playoff schedule and sparking a wave of walkouts in other sports. The NBA postponed its Wednesday night games after the Bucks refused to play the Orlando Magic in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin on Sunday.
“NBA players…have the luxury of taking a night off – most Americans don’t have the financial luxury to do that,” Kushner said in an interview with the Politico news site.
“I think it’s good that they’re advocating for this issue, but I’d like to see them start to embrace concrete, productive solutions.”
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Lebron James expressed his solidarity with the Bucks.
“WE DEMAND CHANGE. I’m fed up,” tweeted James, who has launched several anti-racism initiatives.
When asked about James’ anti-racism work, Kushner said that “if LeBron James contacted the White House and we contacted him, we would be happy to speak with him and say, ‘Listen “Let’s both agree on what we want to accomplish.”
The NBA’s postponements marked a dramatic escalation in the league’s calls for social justice, which have reverberated across American sports since the killing of unarmed black man George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May.
Large nationwide protests have been marked by violence and looting.
“I think peaceful protests have their place and their importance,” Kushner said. “You don’t improve wealth equality by rioting and burning down stores.”
Topics mentioned in this article
