National Basketball Players Association Director Michele Roberts expressed outrage over the Capitol Hill riots in recent comments. She noted how the events reflected the racial double standard in the United States.

Roberts said that she had conversations with multiple NBA players throughout the afternoon of Jan. 6 and kept returning to the contrast between the treatment of the Capitol rioters and the decision made by a Wisconsin prosecutor that the police officers who shot Jacob Blake last year will not be charged.

“Today started yesterday, when the Jacob Blake shooting was being justified, although I’m not sure there was a single human surprised at that finding. Every single player that contacted me – or that I contacted – saw the same connection to the Blake shooting being justified. We were watching these people essentially committing treason at the Capitol, and I have yet to hear about a single shot being fired,” Roberts told ESPN. 

“We saw a black police officer being chased, and players said to me, ‘So this is what they can do? And people don’t get this privilege stuff? I know how they’re feeling,” Roberts said. “I am so angry and pained – and refusing to cry. It reminded me of something James Baldwin said when he asked what it was like to be a negro in the United States of America. He said that if you’re conscious of what’s going on in the country, and you’re a negro, you’re in a constant state of rage.” 

On a day like this, it’s the first thing that comes to mind. And all I can say is that I’m grateful knowing that hopefully, nobody who looks like me is going to Capitol Hill to respond to this because if they do, you’ll see a different response by law enforcement. You know it – and I know it,” she said. 

On Wednesday night, NBA teams and coaches took it to the court to protest the United States Capitol riot, as well as a decision by a Wisconson prosecutor not to charge the police officer who shot Jacob Blake last year. A total of 11 games were played across the country despite the unrest occurring in Washington D.C.

One of those games took place less than a mile away from the Capitol Building as the Washington Wizards faced off against the Philadelphia 76ers at Capital One Arena. Both players and coaches from both teams addressed the riot that occurred earlier that day as Congress gathered to certify the results from the 2020 election.

Sixers’ head coach Doc Rivers criticized law enforcement’s response to the Capitol storming to their response against black people who have protested police brutality and racial equality.

“It’s pretty disturbing and sad,” Rivers told reporters. “What it’s not is an ‘attack on democracy.’ It’s not. … Democracy will prevail. It always does. It shows a lot, though.”

Another one of those games was between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat in AmericanAirlines Arena. Players from both teams issued a joint statement before starting their game addressing the Capitol riots and the Jacob Blake ruling. In addition to the statement, players from both teams also kneeled for the national anthem.

“2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed,” the Heat-Celtics statement said. “We played [Wednesday’s] game with a heavy heart after [Tuesday’s] decision in Kenosha, and knowing that protesters in our nation’s capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on what side of certain issues they are on.”

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons faced off at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday night. They also kneeled in the act of protest of the riot and the Blake decision right after their game tipped off.

“I stand for change,” Bucks center Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters. “As my team, we stand for change. Whenever we see something that’s not right, we are going to speak up and use our platform the right way.”

As the league was protesting, NBA players union executive director Michele Roberts also addressed the riot and Blake’s decision.

“All I can say is that I’m grateful knowing that hopefully, nobody who looks like me is going to Capitol Hill to respond to this, because if they do, you’ll see a different response by law enforcement. You know it – and I know it,” Roberts told ESPN. 

Five NBA games are still set to be played on Thursday. The Wizards aren’t scheduled to play a home game until they host the Heat on Saturday in Washington, D.C.

The NBA was one of the first professional sports leagues to suspend its season because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league has slowly begun to take steps to resume its season, allowing teams to reopen their facilities as long as it is permitted by local governments and also being in talks with Disney World to use their facilities to finish its season. The league has also been in talks with the NBA’s Players Association in regards to how the season will start back up. 

One of the most important people in discussions for restarting the NBA season is NBPA executive director Michele Roberts. Roberts has been in constant talks with teams and players as to how the season will start and according to Roberts, it seems that players are extremely eager to return. “It’s time,” he said. “It’s time. It’s been two and a half months of, ‘What if?’ My players need some level of certainty. I think everybody does.”

Roberts said that she will be in talks with players from all 30 teams in order to get their opinions on how the league plans to restart. Roberts also believes that a vote among the players will be necessary for how the season will resume. “If we thought we needed a vote, we would,” she said. “If we’re ratifying a CBA, we need a vote. But our preferred method is talking to people or just having them talk to us. Then if we get a sense of what the sentiment is then we can move forward. We talk to our players and figure it out.”

The one thing that Roberts noted that the players do want is simply certainty given that there are still so many details that need to be ironed out. “Certainty will be good. But the players really want to play,” she said.