Stevante Clark told reporters in Sacramento he wants to apologize to the mayor for disrupting the city council meeting. His brother, Stephon Clark, was gunned down by two police officers who thought Stephon was armed. USA TODAY
SACRAMENTO – To tell the story of the Sacramento Kings and their week is to realize how simple this stuff should be.
Protests spread through the city in the days after Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old black man, was shot and killed in his grandmother's back yard by two police officers on March 18 who believed he had a gun. Clark was unarmed and had been holding a cell phone.
The peoples' voices were heard through their protests, their pain palpable. And the Kings -- who lost millions when they were forced to close their Golden 1 Center doors for two of three recent games after Clark's death -- brought the community's frustrations to the NBA stage, ignoring their bottom line just long enough to make a real difference.
Take note, NFL and every other pro sports organization that struggles with these intersections of sports and society.
Kings owner Vivek Ranadive delivered a passionate postgame speech to a sparse crowd after a March 22 game against Atlanta. The Kings produced a public service announcement to raise awareness about police violence. They established an education fund for Clark’s children and partnerships with Black Lives Matter and Build Black Coalition. A “Forum for healing” with players, activists and other leaders is scheduled for Friday.
They did it by showing the empathy and humanity that is absent far too often in these situations.
“We need to listen,” NBA legend Vince Carter told USA TODAY Sports after the Kings’ doors re-opened for Thursday’s game.
“In my opinion, it’s what do you believe in?” Carter said. “What is right? Let’s just do what’s right. Let’s be aware. Let’s open this conversation, open a healthy conversation.”
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After all these years where the Kings have been roundly ridiculed as one of the worst organizations in sports, there’s something perfect about them providing this blueprint.
“For Vivek to say what he said, to not disparage the protesters after they kept money out of his pocket – two games out of three – and then to back up what he said with action, and then to make it to where the fans can get back in … get back to a little normalcy, I think him and everyone who works for him in the Kings' organization has done it the right way," Kings guard Garrett Temple told USA TODAY Sports.
“It’s very refreshing to know that you’re in a league, but also in an organization, that gets it, in my opinion. This whole league (gets it). Pop (San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich) speaks out so eloquently. (Golden State coach Steve) Kerr speaks out so eloquently. Obviously, my other colleagues in LeBron (James) and others. I’m glad to be in a league that’s a little more progressive.”
On Thursday, Ranadive and Kings general manager Vlade Divac stood with broad smiles outside the arena, shaking hands and taking pictures on those same grounds where Clark protesters had blocked the entrances just two nights before. On a day filled with emotion, this was a place of peace and calm. As NBA scenes go, it didn’t get much more surreal.
The sun was out, shining down on the police barricades that kept anyone without a ticket from entering the arena plaza. Kids and their parents ate ice cream on benches not far from dozens of cops in riot gear. The Kings, who played to all those empty seats in two of their previous three games, fell to the Pacers with a crowd of 11,360 on hand.
It was a reprieve -- however temporary -- for an organization that understands its role in this conversation.
