On the eve of Saturday’s “March for Our Lives” protest, the Washington Wizards hosted students, parents and teachers Friday from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Various players, coach Scott Brooks and owner Ted Leonsis met with the group after the team’s shootaround.
The Parkland, Florida, residents are in the District to protest gun violence and aim to stop mass shootings in schools. Seventeen people were killed at Stoneman Douglas last month when a shooter opened fire.
Brooks said it was a “great honor” to visit with the students.
“They’ve been through things that they shouldn’t have to go through, and to have them here it’s an honor that they wanted to stop by and meet our players,” Brooks said. “Our players, I’m excited to coach our players how they play on the court, but I like how they give back and interact with the community. Having the kids here and some of the parents and the teachers, it was pretty cool.”
Wizards guard Tim Frazier said the meeting was a chance for him and his teammates to take a step back away from basketball.
“Anytime we’re just able to stop for a second away from the game of basketball, being able to put smiles on faces, it’s the most amazing thing,” Frazier said. “They put smiles on our faces, too.”
Frazier said he was excited to see the march. The Wizards have to practice, but Frazier said he’ll be paying close attention.
The organizers behind “March for Our Lives” hope to draw 500,000 protesters, per The Associated Press. Saturday’s protest starts at noon, with various streets set to be closed.
Wizards guard Bradley Beal said he thinks the activism from high school students is “awesome.”
“It’s a testament to where our world needs to lead to, to where we need to get to and to come together as a society,” Beal said. “It starts with us as the younger generation. We’ve gotta come together with love and do things like this. … It’s spreading positive vibes and it’s true humanitarian work that they’re doing. It’s amazing sometimes to learn from the youth on how to do things.”
Added Brooks: “Those kids are our future. I have kids that are the same age. They’re here for a purpose. I think it’s great that they stopped by, and it was great for us to see them and talk with them.”
Honored to have students and teachers from Stoneman Douglas High School visiting practice today! pic.twitter.com/ESERszDQzQ
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) March 23, 2018
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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