The National Basketball Coaches Association has "formed a committee" in an "effort to combat racial injustice and find solutions for reform," according to Sarah Todd of the DESERET NEWS. The NBCA issued a statement yesterday "condemning systemic racism and vowing to work toward ways to enact change in NBA communities." Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce and Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, who serves as NBCA President, "reached out to each of the NBA's 30 head coaches and came together for conference calls on Saturday and Sunday to discuss what the group can do." Jazz coach Quin Snyder said, "Being willing to have that dialogue, to be transparent, to be honest with yourself and ultimately as a white man, what I was hearing was, 'We need help.' It's not enough to just have support. There has to be a willingness to confront these things when you see them, be willing to take action." Todd notes the committee will have a third meeting today and the "goal of these early meetings is to find ways to bring about real change that goes beyond awareness." The NBCA committee will be "sharing ideas, seeking outside counsel, having conversations with law enforcement and community leaders in order to work on breaking down the systemic problems that lead to racial profiling, brutality and injustice in ways that can be sustainable and actually work" (DESERET NEWS, 6/2).
