Gregg Popovich Blasts Racists Against 11-Year-Old National Anthem Singer

Prior to Game 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio, 11-year old Sebastien de la Cruz sang the national anthem. For his troubles, crazed racists attacked him online with vicious remarks. The youngster met with both Erik Spoesltra and Gregg Popovich last night, and the Spurs head coach ripped the kid’s critics. Per the Express-News: “Spurs coach Gregg Popovich offered words of encouragement for Sebastien De La Cruz, the young San Antonian who drew a flurry of racist comments on Twitter after singing the national anthem Tuesday at Game 3 of the NBA Finals. ‘I would like to say I would be shocked or surprised by the comments,’ Popovich said about an hour before tipoff of Thursday’s Game 4 at the AT&T Center. ‘But given the fact that there’s still a significant element of bigotry and racism in our nation, I’m not surprised. It still plagues us, obviously. And what I was surprised by was how proud these idiots were of their ignorance by printing their names next to their comments. (De La Cruz) is a class act. Way more mature than most his age. And as much as those comments by the idiots saddens you about your country, he makes you feel that the future could be very bright.’ […] De La Cruz, 11, was a last-minute replacement for Darius Rucker, who experienced travel problems and missed his scheduled singing of the national anthem. The boy appeared on television’s ‘America’s Got Talent’ last year, and in April performed with the San Antonio Symphony at its traditional Fiesta Pops concert.”