Friday afternoon, a massive “ICE Out” rally in downtown Minneapolis ended at the Target Center, a gathering so large that more than half the people attending the march could not get in the door of the arena. Then Saturday saw more protests and the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a federal officer, which in turn sparked even larger protests and an outpouring of grief and anger in the city and around the nation. The NBA wisely postponed the Timberwolves game at the Target Center that night.
Sunday, that game was played, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr described it as one of the “most bizarre, sad games I’ve ever been a part of.” The Timberwolves’ hearts were clearly not in it, they scored just 85 points (their first time under 100 this season) and the Warriors picked up an easy win.
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Monday, life and the NBA kept moving on. The Warriors and Timberwolves played again, and people at the Target Center Monday night said things were still “quiet,” the vibe was a bit somber and “weird.”
However, maybe things looked and felt slightly better by the time the game ended. The Timberwolves looked distracted again at the start, but got a spark off the bench from Bones Hyland that seemed to turn things around. Minnespota went on to pick up a win against a shorthanded Golden State squad behind 17 from Hyland and 18 from Julius Randle. It snapped the Timberwolves’ five-game losing streak— right now, Minnesota will take all the wins it can get. On and off the court.
“It’s a lot, a lot…” Rudy Gobert said after the win during an interview on Peacock. “We are here doing what we love, give people joy and distract them from the bad things that are happening. That’s all we can do. Stay safe, send love to the people that are affected, and keep doing what we do. Try to lead by example. People need some joy in these times.”
This is still a city and a state reeling from the killing of Pretti over the weekend, and Renee Good a couple of weeks before. Protests still fill the streets in Minneapolis, and that vibe certainly was still in the air at the 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 was wearing “ICE Out” shirts Sunday.
Monday, during one break in play, as the cameras panned the crowd and showed fans on the jumbotron, a couple of fans held up “ICE Out Now!” signs, and a huge cheer rose from the crowd.
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It wasn’t just inside the Target Center where players were making their voices heard. There was former Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, for one.
There were other players around the league making comments or voicing their opinions.
“There’s a lot of change that needs to happen, and when you’re here, you feel it…” Stephen Curry said after the Warriors win Sunday. “It was amazing to watch the turnout and the peaceful protests and the unified voice that was there. You feel that would kind of turn the tide into 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 really all day yesterday I was disgusted,” Brianna Stewart said after an Unrivaled game in Miami. “Everything you see on IG and in the news, we’re so fueled by hate right now instead of love. I wanted to have a simple message of ‘abolish ICE,’ which means to uplift families and communities, having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence. When human lives are at stake, it’s bigger than anything else.”
“For the second time in less than three weeks, we’ve lost another beloved member of our community in the most unimaginable way,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said pregame Sunday. “As an organization, we are heartbroken for what we are having to witness and endure and watch, and we just want to extend our thoughts, prayers, and concern for Mr. Pretti’s family, all the loved ones, and everyone involved in such a unconscionable situation in a community that we really love, full of people who are by nature, peaceful, and prideful…
“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 embraced from day one. People have been amazing. It’s sad to watch what is happening. On the human level, certainly as somebody who takes great pride in being here, I know a lot of our players feel the same. They all love being here, and it’s just hard to watch what we’re going through.”
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Maybe Monday night’s win was a small step toward bringing some joy and starting to help a community heal.
