For its non-Black, liberal fans, basketball exists in a sort of triple consciousness. They love basketball in part because it allows them access to Blackness. This, however, comes with guilt and discomfort, which gets processed into a monolithic and easily accessible politics of what these days is called “allyship,” which then needs to be codified and rubberstamped by the esteemed white men who know the players the best. Gregg Popovich and Steve Kerr serve as models for white allies. Underlying all this is a pressing need to understand Black people.
Source : Ball Don’t Lie
