SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on the Sacramento Kings support for police shooting protesters (all times local):
8:30 p.m.
Sacramento Kings player Garrett Temple is telling a community gathering of several hundred black Sacramento residents that Stephon Clark “could have been any of us.”
Temple joined teammate Vice Carter and former Kings player Doug Christie Friday at a South Sacramento church for an event to support black youth in California’s capital city.
Carter says he works to “educate ignorance” every day and that he feels speaking out about Clark is what he’s meant to do.
The Kings helped organize the event along with Black Lives Matter and other community groups.
The 22-year-old Clark was shot to death by police on March 18.
That’s prompted angry but peaceful protests, including some that twice blocked thousands of fans from getting into Kings games.
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6:20 p.m.
The struggling Sacramento Kings find themselves in the national spotlight and it has nothing to do with another disappointing NBA season in their sparkling new 2-year-old arena.
Instead of looking ahead to the draft lottery as they wind down their 12th consecutive losing season, the Kings have turned their attention to demonstrators who have joined hand-in-hand on game nights to block entrances to the building.
The wave of protests stem from the March 18 fatal shooting by police of Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old unarmed black man.
Kings players are at the center of the demonstrations but they have embraced their role in the situation and have been supportive of both the Clark family and the protesters.
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