On Friday afternoon, a massive “ICE Out” rally in downtown Minneapolis ended at the Target Center, a gathering so large that more than half of the people participating in the march were unable to get through the arena gate. Then Saturday saw more protests and the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, 37, by a federal agentwhich sparked even larger protests and an outpouring of grief and anger in the city and across the country. The NBA wisely postponed the Timberwolves game at Target Center that evening.
Sunday saw that game played, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr described it as one of the “weirdest, saddest games I’ve ever been a part of.” The Timberwolves’ hearts clearly weren’t in it, they only scored 85 points (their first time under 100 this season) and the Warriors took an easy victory.
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On Monday, life and the NBA continued to move forward. The Warriors and Timberwolves played again, and people at the Target Center Monday night said things were still “quiet,” that the mood was a little somber and “weird.”
However, perhaps things looked slightly better by the end of the match. The Timberwolves looked distracted again early on, but received a spark off the bench from Bones Hyland that seemed to change things. Minnespota then picked up a win against a short-handed Golden State team behind 17 from Hyland and 18 from Julius Randle. This ended the Timberwolves’ five-game losing streak: Right now, Minnesota will take any win they can. On and off the field.
“It’s a lot, a lot…” said Rudy Gobert after the victory during an interview on Peacock. “We are here to do what we love, to give people joy and distract them from the bad things that are happening. That’s all we can do. Stay safe, send love to those affected and continue to do what we do. Try to lead by example. People need a little joy in these times.”
This is still a city and a state reeling from the murder of Pretti this weekend and Renee Good just weeks before. Protests still fill the streets of Minneapolis, and that vibe was certainly still in the air at Target Center — there were “f*** Ice” chants during the game (including at the end of a moment of silence for Pretti. Even the Timberwolves’ trampoline dunk team wore “ICE Out” shirts on Sunday.
On Monday, during a break, as cameras filmed the crowd and showed fans on the Jumbotron, a few fans held up “ICE Out Now!” signs, and a huge cheer went up from the crowd.
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It wasn’t just inside the Target Center that players were making their voices heard. For example, there was former Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns.
There were other players around the league making comments or expressing their opinions.
“A lot of changes have to happen, and when you’re here, you feel it…” Stephen Curry said after the Warriors’ victory on Sunday. “It was amazing to see the turnout and the peaceful protests and the unified voice that was there. You feel like this would somehow turn the tide in a more positive direction…and then you wake up and see what happened.”
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“Knowing what my values are and what I stand for all day yesterday, I was disgusted,” Brianna Stewart said after an unmatched match in Miami. “Everything you see on IG and in the news, we are so fueled by hate right now rather than love. I wanted to have a simple message of ‘abolish ICE,’ which means uplifting families and communities, having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence. When human lives are at stake, that’s bigger than anything else.”
“For the second time in less than three weeks, we have lost another beloved member of our community in the most unimaginable way,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Sunday before the game. “As an organization, we are heartbroken by what we have to witness, endure and watch, and we simply want to express our thoughts, prayers and concern for Mr. Pretti’s family, all loved ones and everyone involved in such an unconscionable situation in a community we truly love, full of people who are by nature peaceful and proud…
“I’m more than a resident. This is my home. I love living here. I love being a part of this community. I’ve been welcomed from day one. The people have been amazing. It’s sad to see what’s happening. On a human level, certainly as someone who’s very proud to be here, I know a lot of our players feel the same way. They all love being here, and it’s just hard to see what we’re going through.”
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Perhaps Monday night’s victory was a small step toward some joy and the beginning of helping a community heal.
