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Gregg Popovich Blasts Texas Governor Greg Abbott For Lifting The Mask Mandate In His State

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 03: San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich during the NBA regular season basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, Feb. 3, 2020 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire)

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is never afraid to speak his mind when it comes to politics and current events. He made that clear once again today after Texas governor Greg Abbott lifted the state’s mandate that requires residents to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here’s what Popovich had to say about Abbott’s controversial decision.

“As far as the players go, we listen to the NBA, not the governor,” Popovich told reporters Tuesday.

Popovich would go on to call Greg Abbot’s decision ‘mystifying’.

“Basically you’re saying, ‘You get infected and you die?'” Popovich said via Sports Illustrated. “‘That’s the way it goes. We got to open up.’ That’s not the way to do it. This is really ridiculous.’

Here was Gregg Popovich’s full rant:

The 72-year-old Popovich recognized the toll that the pandemic has taken on restaurants and local businesses, but also wanted to make a case that while the vaccines are starting to become distributed, the pandemic is not over. We’ll see if Gregg Abbott’s clown show decision will lead to an outbreak in Texas. I mean, I don’t get it…is it really that much of a burden to wear a mask? Maybe I’m missing something.

According to the New York Times, only 13% of people in Texas have received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, making Greg Abbott’s state one of the slowest in distribution.

I’m with Gregg Popovich on this one.


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