Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet was critical of the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict in Wisconsin in his post-game press conference with reporters on Friday.
“I think this is, you know, what the system is designed for is to protect white people, young white people, especially young white men,” VanVleet said after the Raptors beat the Sacramento Kings.
“You know, I’m not an expert on the judicial system other than to say that it’s not designed for anybody other than that. I think it’s a little outdated, to say the least. I think that we’ve got to continue to use all the tools that we have at our disposal. I think that things are changing and they will continue to change. But we can’t lose sight. We can’t lose focus, we can’t lose hope. I think that some of these verdicts and these decisions are directed and and they’re meant to diminish the fight that people all over the country are fighting for.”
The Raptors were one of several NBA teams to speak about the verdict after Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges Friday, testifying he acted in self-defence in the deadly Kenosha shootings that became a flashpoint in the debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice in the U.S.
Rittenhouse, 18, was charged with homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering for killing two men and wounding a third with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle in the summer of 2020 during a tumultuous night of protests over the shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white Kenosha police officer.
“Got a lot of work to do,” VanVleet said. “I don’t know if it’ll be our lifetime or our kids’ lifetime or our grandkids’ lifetime, but we’ve got to do our part each and every day. And you know, that’s for me personally. That’s what I’m focusing on as a leader of our family and this team and this organization — just want to keep encouraging people to stay locked into the fight and focus. And you know, there’s going to be setbacks along the way and this is one of them. But we know how (messed) up things are. And you know, we’ve got to do our part to try to change that.”
Raptors coach Nick Nurse says members of the team wellness staff will be available to meet with players in an open-forum setting for discussions on Saturday in the aftermath of the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict in Wisconsin on Friday.
Nurse said the team also had meetings about the verdict before Friday’s game in Sacramento against the Kings.
Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash reacted to the news before his team’s game on Friday night.
Steve Nash on possible Kyle Rittenhouse protest outside Barclays tonight: “These situations are disappointing. It’s important to not become demoralized… while I think it raises a lot of eyebrows, questions and pain… these are always opportunities for us to look in the mirror.”
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) November 19, 2021
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr says gun laws in the U.S. are very concerning.
“We are seemingly OK (with) a teenager’s right to take an AR-15 to an area where there’s civil unrest. That’s really scary and concerning but this is where we are with gun laws, this is why we have to have safer gun laws in place to protect ourselves, to protect each other … This is America and we’re treading down a dangerous path.”
Other NBA players gave their thoughts on Twitter.
not surprised at all , smh …
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) November 19, 2021
The System Is Broken.
— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) November 19, 2021
Last summer, the NBA postponed all games for one day in the Walt Disney World bubble after the Milwaukee Bucks declined to take the court in protest of the shooting.
