After the Sacramento Kings’ season-opening win against the Utah Jazz Wednesday night, head coach Mike Brown had no desire to talk basketball.
Instead of sticking to sports, a visibly emotional coach Brown entered the postgame press conference and made it clear his thoughts were in Lewiston, Maine, the site of America’s latest senseless and tragic mass shooting.
A very emotional Mike Brown isn’t talking basketball tonight. He spends his press conference passionately speaking on tonight’s mass shooting in Maine.
His full press conference: pic.twitter.com/w1Ku5XHkeC
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) October 26, 2023
“First thing, I would like to say I don’t know everything that is going on,” Brown told reporters. “I’m not that smart, but I know we as a country we have to do something.”
After a long pause, Brown explained that on his way into the media room, he was informed about the mass shooting that occurred in Maine. Thursday morning, Maine Gov. Janet Mills said 18 people were killed and 13 wounded after a shooter attacked a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston. Police are currently searching for person of interest, 40-year-old Robert Card, who has been described as “armed and dangerous.”
“That is absolutely disgusting and it’s sad,” Brown continued. “It’s sad that we sit here and watch this time after time after time and nobody does anything about it. It’s a sad day — it’s a sad day for our country. It’s a sad day in this world. And until we decide to do something, the powers that be, this is going to keep happening. And our kids aren’t going to be able to enjoy what the United States is about because we don’t know how to fix a problem that is right in front of us.”
Brown went on to commend the NBA and some of its stars for using their platform to speak out against gun violence. Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, LeBron James and Chris Paul are among those who have advocated for gun control in recent years.
“I don’t even want to talk basketball. We played a game,” Brown said after a reporter attempted to ask a question about the game. “It was fun. Obviously, we won. But if we can’t do anything to fix this, it’s over. It’s over. It’s over for our country to have this happen time after time.”
As of Thursday morning, a shelter-in-place order remained for at least six Maine communities as police continued to search for the gunman.
