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Fil-Am coach Erik Spoelstra: Hate attacks 'heartbreaking and sickening'

Sports | Basketball

Fil-Am coach Erik Spoelstra: Hate attacks 'heartbreaking and sickening'

By Carlo Anolin

Erik Spoelstra — Heat coach Erik Spoelstra (AFP)

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has condemned racism towards Asian-Americans amid the recent Atlanta shooting that killed eight people, including six Asian women.

"Look, I’m Asian-American. I’m proud to be Asian-American,” Spoelstra said prior to coaching Miami against the Indiana Pacers.

"And seeing what’s happening with another… just outright form of racism and hatred really is sickening and breaks my heart. It’s despicable. I think more people have to be made aware of this. It really is irrelevant, y'know, who you are or what you are, you have to see that this is wrong."

The Filipino-American coach also lauded the NBA for speaking out on the issue on their behalf.

Spoelstra aired his sentiments in light of the increasing hate attacks in the United States, even after one year since the COVID-19 pandemic started in Wuhan, China, which also added fuel to the fire as far as racial discrimination is concerned.

For Spoelstra, the first Asian-American coach in the NBA, the "heartbreaking" events in their country are proof that "hatred abundantly still out there and people feel empowered to attack the Asian community."

The 50-year-old champion coach, who is also one of the most vocal NBA personalities, furthered that he will "pray in my heart that this can stop."

Fil-Am Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson, Lakers star LeBron James, Heat great Dwyane Wade, and former NBA player Jeremy Lin were also in unison that these hate attacks must stop.

The suspect, identified as Robert Aaron Long, 21, is now detained and charged with eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault.

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