Uh, last game in the fourth assembly from a sports perspective, You got going a little bit eso tonight.

You've sort of got the complete game with scoring assists, rebounds where you went from a comfortable level on.

Did you feel like this was your best quality?

Just years.

Maybe so, But I'm not gonna lie.

I mean, uh, you know, it was a great Siri's, but after you know the statement way made last thing, I really don't think it's right.

Um, you know, to talk about basketball, e feel like we made a huge statement as a team together.

Um e think more.

I should talk about that rather than basketball tonight.

Yes, Laurie Nickel.

That said, Chris, you know what it's like to play through fatigue.

You know what it's like to play your travel and adversity.

How hard was it for you?

Thio on a switch gears and be a professional play with everything that's been on your mind has been difficult to change that over.

I would say it was very difficult today.

I mean, way had extremely long couple days, just a lot going on emotionally physically.

You could add that, too, but The thing I love about this team about this league is that we all stuck together way had, you know, in depth conversations way back each other up.

We didn't leave one person, you know, standing by himself.

We all stuck together just like a brotherhood.

Should dio Okay, Joe Barton.

Well, I had a basketball question.

If you don't want to answer it, probably not yet.

What was it like for you?

I asked about the same thing and I told him history now, a couple days ago.

So what was it like to walk back in there?

Just for the first time since you guys have done what you did?

E No, it was weird.

I mean, I definitely don't think when we initially made that, you know, I'm statement that we weren't gonna play that day.

They will be, you know, as big as it became our history.

But I think I think they were proud of what we did.

And you know that decision that we made?

We're proud of that decision.

We truly felt that, you know, it wasn't the right day to play a game on for many reasons around this country around this world that way.

Believed or something, You know.

You know, we've been raised.

We talked together about, you know, standing for what we believe in fighting for what's right.

And I think that last game, that was exactly it.

Tanya, go ahead.

I think you guys don't realize that what you did was spreading and that the rumors that the kids and, yeah, all the rest of the teams, it was somewhere in the midst.

While we're in our locker room.

I mean, E would be lying if I said, you know, my head wasn't spending at the time.

Maybe a lot of other guys were because it was a huge decision that we had to make it.

You know, I think the honest spoken in one day during my team meetings that something like that hadn't been done in 60 60.

There may be something that would build Russell.

So I mean, you know, we at that I mean, this the locker room, what was going on in locker room?

We're just trying to figure out how to take advantage of that time that we weren't playing, you know, speak to the people that we need to speak to figure out what needs to be done and what we could do from our Did you learn?

What did you learn?

Power that you guys go?

Well, e think way.

I think we realized that we do have a voice.

We have a huge platform basketball here, but I think we realized that even more, Um, what we did, um, you know, with the rest of the lead the rest of leads around the country, a lot of people paying respects and, you know, starting standing up for, you know, social injustice and police reform.

I mean, we did find out during that meeting in our locker room that our state legislature in Wisconsin have not met for four months.

They meet on Monday, and we've heard that in the past.

Most times they just, you know, gavel gavel out.

But I really discuss anything or, you know, trying Thio really make change on on our end.

We want to speak to that.

We wanted to make sure that, you know, they listen to us on.

They really talk about this police form, but that needs to be passed through the senate.

Gary Washburn.

Christian, you take 13 Everybody has been in the playoffs and All Star with guys got together.

Those meetings are 100 plus guys for the first time in the room.

What did you take from those meetings?

And what did you guys learn about each other in terms of those gatherings and all the opinions that were in the one that everybody has opinions just like us?

I mean, they all have different stories that have different backgrounds out.

All have different passed on.

Their frustration was definitely hurt hurt in that in that meeting in that ballroom, which we all expected.

E think it's important for everybody you know, to get in the room like that, especially about their feelings, um, and then come back.

You know, we're cooler areas.

I think what's the smarter than you do also and go on the same page about what we need to do what we can do, Um, by using basketball here.

Eric Jr Chris, You know, huh?

It's a different era in today's Anthony's.

You guys gotta be speaking of pumps outside of just basketball, just talking about that balance as opposed to, say, guys in a generation before they didn't have this type of responsibility where people look to them.

Really?

Speak up.

You gotta be engaged.

Sure.

It's definitely not for me.

I've been known as a quiet guy most of my career.

I go at the same time, you know, way have responsibility.

You know, a lot of people listen to us.

A lot of people look up to us.

A lot of people watching e think the phrases, you know, we're all growing up.

Don't let basketball use you use basketball.

I think as you get older, you realize that with all these cameras, all these microphones to social, media and whatnot way realized how big of an impact we have.

How many people watch us?

Um, many people, you know, I want to be in our position that time.

So we have responsibility.

You know, Thio fight for the people that can't be heard at times where you go?

Well, you guys water, national anthem playing Alex Lazar.

Mark, you have ownership would have used to work in your front office there, doing the work back at home.

In some ways, I mean gives us confidence that, you know, uh, people from all backgrounds, you know, especially in our organization that they stand with us way put them in a tough situation, I would guess.

But they truly felt that we made the right decision on they still behind us.

They give us the confidence and voices to keep the team what you're doing way.

Have they have all the supporting us on the basketball court in off the basketball court, which is huge coming from front office on the ship, although trust that two more Zor Stevenson.

Chris, I got two for you.

One.

What's the specific message you all really want to push right now out of everything in that second, what's been the most powerful part of these past couple days?

I was saying, You know, the first one is to vote.

I mean, we all have a responsibility.

Thio, especially the black community way, have to fight for that right for so long, Um, in our lifetime to know we're able to.

So we have to take advantage of that and do that.

And then to like I said the state Legislature legislators meeting on Monday to introduce a new police reform bill and that way need them to really sit down, discuss that to pass that last one to Laura Nickel.

Chris going back the last couple of days.

I don't know if you've thought about not playing or maybe your purpose here.

But what did you have to hear from either the meetings or from the league to convince you?

Okay, I'm still feel comfortable with playing and using my platform, but I need to know that we're going to do X, Y and Z.

What did you need to hear that would be promised for me?

I was always comfortable about coming back and playing.

But, you know, like you said, there are some things that you don't want to sit out for any reason.

Those meetings those last couple days, we felt we made a huge movement, a huge impact on taking action.

Now not just talking about it.

I think that's what made me comfortable.

I don't wanna pay other words in other people's mouths to speak for them.

But hearing the things that I heard get on the phone calls where some of my teammates, what people back from Wisconsin, It was great.

I mean, hopefully, you know, I could do the same thing from my home back in South Carolina.

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