Former NBA All-Star Caron Butler criticized Knicks owner James Dolan for his attempt to justify his silence in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.
Floyd was a 46-year-old Black man who was killed when a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes. The Knicks were one of two NBA teams not to issue a statement while different parts of the nation rallied with peaceful protests — the other team was the San Antonio Spurs.
“It’s like every opportunity or chance that Mr. Dolan gets a chance to do something right, it’s almost like he’s pivoting in the space to go out of his way to do the opposite,” Butler said in an interview with HoopsHype’s Alex Kennedy. “And that probably works in the business space, where you disturb the market. But this is not a business thing. This is a humane thing. And I think that he made a bad decision not speaking up on it.
“And I don’t know what he do privately or anything like that, but you should take a stance on justice, and what’s right and wrong. And I think that, at the end of the day, your legacy is extremely important and you cannot — I never seen a U-haul truck attached to a hearse or anything like that. So people remember you from your good deeds and what you did for mankind.”
The Knicks’ silence on the matter spoke volumes, especially as the Nets franchise right across the bridge became one of the first to issue a public statement, encapsulated by the line “enough is enough.” Barclays Center has become the epicenter for Brooklyn protesting in the wake of Floyd’s death. Nets owner Joe Tsai has shown support for peaceful protesting outside his arena.
Even though the Spurs have been silent, their head coach Gregg Popovich has continued to be outspoken on social issues.
Dolan also sent an email to Madison Square Garden employees in an attempt to justify his silence on the matter. That email was leaked and garnered even more criticism than his silence.
“As companies in the business of sports and entertainment we are not any more qualified than anyone else to offer our opinion on social matters,” Dolan’s email read. “What’s important is how we operate. Our companies are committed to upholding our values, which include creating a respectful workplace for all, and that will never change. What we say to each other matters. How we treat each other matters. And that’s what will get us through this difficult time.”
Butler added that Dolan not speaking up could have an impact on Knicks players and other NBA players.
“And to say nothing in one of the biggest moments, I think, in our lifetime, that we’ve been able to experience and all rally around and have a hand in and be a part of, and to be absent in that moment? That’s just, that tells you a lot,” he explained. “And I know that a lot of players are like, ‘how can I go run through a brick wall for this organization and understand and know that my rights probably don’t really matter to this individual?’”
The NBA is following its plan to restart the season amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the Knicks are on the outside looking in. They will not be one of the 22 teams playing basketball in Orlando. They also have no available roster spots, so they won’t be one of the eight non-playoff teams adding to their roster before the end of the season.
But the Knicks have struggled in free agency, most notably losing on the Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant sweepstakes to the Nets last summer. Butler, a 15-year NBA veteran best known for his stints with the Washington Wizards, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers, called the outpour of support in the aftermath of Floyd’s killing “eye-opening.”
“It’s eye-opening for a lot of people. It’s eye-opening for a lot of people that are on social media that have friends from different walks of life that didn’t stand in solidarity and say anything. It’s going to be different going forward, and if you did not stand on the side of (what’s) right and on justice, you will be looked at differently. And that just lets the world know that you have no substance to you.”
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