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Gregg Popovich has never been afraid to speak his mind. The San Antonio Spurs was recently vocal against how certain Texas school districts, including San Antonio, have called a day off to celebrate Christopher Columbus Day. The Spurs coach sounded off against the policy in a recent interview after he was asked about President Joe Biden’s proclamation for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. “It’s way overdue for a country,” said the Spurs coach. “I would think there are a lot of people very happy about it. But I’m a little confused about our city and why it’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day slash Columbus Day. Columbus? He initiated a new-world genocide. That’s what he did.”
“It’s no knock on Italian Americans. That’s a silly argument. It’s like saying we should be proud of Hitler because we’re German. I mean it makes no sense,” Popovich said. “It’s about Columbus. It’s not about Italian-Americans. And so, there are a lot of states that have come out and scratched the Columbus Day and made it Indigenous Peoples’ Day. But in our city, are we that backward that we have school districts that do that? I’m amazed. Just amazed”
Popovich gave credit to the SAISD for recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day, while criticizing the other school district in the city. “What the hell is Alamo Heights thinking? It’s Columbus Day. That’s why they’re off on Monday?” Popovich questioned in an interview streamed by KSAT. “Maybe there’s something I’m missing and I’m ignorant, but it makes me feel like they’re living in a phone booth and they’re educating our kids. Columbus Day? And we’re going to honor that?”
CEO John Doleva told the Globe the Hall will decide this coming week whether to retain the Aug. 28-30 window, which will begin at Mohegan Sun and then return to Springfield for the induction. Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Tamika Catchings are among those in the class of 2020. Doleva said the Hall will move the ceremony from Symphony Hall (capacity 2,611), which has housed the event since 2009, to the MassMutual Center (capacity, 8,319), allowing patrons more room for social distancing. Doleva added alternate dates would be over the Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 9-11, or in the spring of 2021. The Hall is not considering a combined ceremony for the classes of 2020 and 2021. “I do want to make it very clear we will have a separate event for the class of 2020 because of the notoriety of that class and, frankly, every class deserves its own recognition," Doleva said. “There is a potential next calendar year that we could have two enshrinements.”
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