Robert Horry backs peaceful protests in NFL

Mumbai: Seven-time National Basketball Association championship winner Robert Horry backed the kneeling down protests in the National Football League. The protests from players against alleged Police brutality has rocked USA’s biggest league especially from last couple of years.

“NFL owns a day and that’s Sunday and if you want to get your message out it is fine. There is nothing wrong in peaceful protests. Protests aren’t against the flag or patriotism. It is about Black lives matter, in fact all lives matter. People who have an experience of their son being handcuffed and pistol aimed at him, can understand what the protest is about. It is against how people are treated and brutality of law enforcing,” he said on Saturday.

Horry visited NBA Academy in Greater Noida before coming here. The legendary player turned commentator however endorsed NBA’s strict rules.

“NBA has always strict rule to show patriotism to the flag and stand up and I am fine with it,” added Horry, who played 16 seasons in the NBA and won championships with three teams — two with Houston Rockets, three with Los Angels Lakers and two with San Antonio Spurs.

He said Lebron James move from Cleveland Cavaliers to Los Angeles Lakers will make league more competitive.

“I think that having Lebron in the side will make other players better at the Lakers. With him being in the West now (from Eastern Conference), it will be more competitive as people know Lebron can take over a game at any point in time,” Horry said while picking Lakers and Houston Rockets as two top teams who can challenge Golden State Warriors for the title.

The 48-year-old revealed he got more than his dreams.

“My dream was to be a maths teacher and a coach. When people were putting doubts on you (as a player) and then when I wasn’t even dreaming about it, you get drafted into the NBA. I went on to win the championship in my second year, on a team I wanted to go to (Rockets). It was a dream come true for me.”