USA Coach Gregg Popovich Reacts to Recent Mass Shootings in America

Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich is tired of seeing tragedies occur on a regular basis, and he wants those in charge to get something done. In fact, he’s downright frustrated at the lack of effort being put into keeping citizens safe.

Tuesday, Popovich was asked for his thoughts about the mass shootings that have taken place over the past few days. Specifically, does he view basketball as a way for people to distract themselves and forget about the horrific news? Well, as video captured during the interview shows, Popovich does believe that members of society are looking for distractions, but he wants something better for them.

“The situation we are all living in now, I think everybody looks for a little bit of distraction in some way, shape, or form,” Popovich told Eric Woodyard of Desert News. “It’d be a lot better if people in power got off their a—es and got something done.”

With so many mass shootings occurring over the past few days, the safety of United States citizens has become a topic of conversation during nearly every interview. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked about the El Paso shooting during a training camp availability, and Dikembe Mutombo was asked for his opinion about the situations upon his arrival at the airport.

The common theme in their answers has been that they simply want those in power to step up and make the changes necessary to keep Americans safe. Words can only go so far before actions have to be taken.

Well, Popovich was far more direct in his answer than Jones or Mutombo, but he wanted to make a point.

With 253 mass shootings in the first 200-plus days of the year, it’s getting to a point where people are afraid to go grocery shopping, to the movies, or to sporting events. It’s impossible to predict where something tragic will happen. Popovich recognizes this, and he is frustrated that those in power aren’t putting any effort into fixing the situation.