NBA: Popovich disappointed with Trump’s outreach to some groups

San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich. AP FILE PHOTO

INDIANAPOLIS— San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called on President Donald Trump to be more inclusive Monday (Tuesday, Manila time).

Popovich, who graduated from the Air Force Academy, expressed disgust over Trump’s refusal to meet with groups he “disparaged” during the campaign.

He was in Indianapolis for his team’s first meeting of the season with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.

Popovich was asked about how his upbringing near the heavily populated African-American community of Gary, Indiana, has helped him address substantive political topics with his players in this strongly partisan postelection America.

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“We all hope President Trump is successful, we hope he does some good things for everyone,” Popovich said. “He didn’t start the presidency by mollifying any groups he disparaged during the campaign. He didn’t say anything about women, or black people, Hispanic people, LGBT people, handicap people — he acted like it never happened. So, that willingness to do whatever was necessary to get elected to say and act the way he did, I thought it was unacceptable. Really disgusting. Even people who voted for him can see that, but for some reason they feel they can ignore that and forgive him. His personality — the inability to get over himself — informs his words and his decisions, and that’s what’s scary.”

The 68-year-old Popovich has won five NBA championships with San Antonio and went into Monday’s game ranked No. 7 in NBA history in career wins with 1,130. He is a three-time winner of the NBA’s coach of the year award and has coached the All-Star team four times.