Robert Horry Speaks After Jacob Blake Shooting | Video
Robert Horry Emotionally Explains His Fears as a Father: "Black Men Are an Endangered Species"
My friend Robert Horry on the show tonight.... powerful.... truth... @lakers @SpectrumSN @NBA pic.twitter.com/rJk1dExGTg
— Chris Geeter McGee (@geeter3) August 27, 2020
Robert Horry is currently a commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers, but on Wednesday night, he was speaking from the heart as a Black father. The former NBA player was brought to tears during a live airing of Spectrum SportsNet while recalling the conversation he had with his sons following the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake. "It is beyond wrong, it's just flat-out evil," Robert said. "It's hard to tell your 14-year-old son that I worry about him when he walks out that door. I have a 21-year-old son, I worry about him because Black men are an endangered species, pretty much."
He explained that he initially thought the cops had tased Jacob but was disturbed to find out they had shot him seven times in the back. In the live segment, Robert tearfully shared the conversation that followed with his children. "I tell my kids all the time, I said, 'I don't care what's going on because at the end of the day, I want you coming home to me. If you have to lay down on the ground, and they can kick you, beat you, at least you're gonna go to the hospital and you're gonna come home to me. Whatever they say to you, don't take it upon yourself to let that rage you have against that cop come out because he has the gun. He can end you.'"
"I don't think people understand, especially white people, how hard it is for Black people to watch that."
He added, "I already lost one child, I don't need to lose another, and I don't think people understand, especially white people, how hard it is for Black people to watch that." The emotional segment came after NBA playoff games scheduled on Wednesday night were postponed and the sports world took a stand demanding accountability following the police shooting of Jacob. MLB and MLS players sat out of their games, the WNBA postponed their games, and after tennis star Naomi Osaka said she would skip her Thursday match, it was announced the Western and Southern Open would be on pause for a day. Watch Robert's emotional clip above.
