Popovich: History will vindicate Kaepernick

Recommended Video:

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors welcomed a special visitor during and after Wednesday's game against the Spurs: Tommie Smith, the former Olympic sprinter who -- along with fellow Olympian John Carlos -- offered a powerful "black power" salute on the medal stand at the 1968 Mexico City games.

The salute has become an iconic moment in the history of the civil rights movement. Smith's appearance Wednesday echoed Carlos' visit with the Spurs in October 2015, at the behest of coach Gregg Popovich.

"Those are two special people for all the obvious reasons," Popovich said before Wednesday's game at Oracle Arena. "To speak truth to power, especially in '68, was pretty special. I can still remember watching that. It was quite dramatic at the time. They paid for it in a lot of different ways."

Popovich noted how public perception of Smith and Carlos changed over time. At the time, the duo was more or less blackballed from the U.S. sporting community.

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich speaks with guard Bryn Forbes about his defense during NBA action against New Orleans in the AT&T Center on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich speaks with guard Bryn Forbes about his defense during NBA action against New Orleans in the AT&T Center on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. Photo: Billy Calzada, Staff / Staff Photographer Photo: Billy Calzada, Staff / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Popovich: History will vindicate Kaepernick 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

"Now they're basically being lauded for their courage, which is appropriate," Popovich said. "Just like Muhammed Ali, everybody hated what he did in the beginning with Vietnam. So they're two very important figures in our social history and the history of justice in this country."

Asked if he believed former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick might one day experience a similar change in public perception, Popovich answered in the affirmative.

"He was very courageous in what he did," Popovich said. "He did it for the right reasons. I think the same story will unwind as time goes on."

Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem during the 2016 NFL preseason, as a means to protest what he believed to be an inequality in race relations in the country. He has been out of football since September 2017.