'Grieve with us': Patty Mills' heartfelt post over Australia Day change
Australian NBA superstar Patty Mills has called for a change to the Australia Day date after a heartfelt post on Instagram.
The point guard’s game for the San Antonio Spurs was postponed on Monday, which Mills said gave him an opportunity to reflect.
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Mills’ mother, Yvonne, was a part of the Stolen Generation and he has called for awareness around the date, which has created a huge divide in recent years.
He posted a photo of himself wearing a t-shirt with the Aboriginal flag and asked people to understand that the 26th of January marks a day where the British colony’s arrived and his people experienced mass slaughtering and slavery.
“Our game was cancelled in New Orleans tonight so it gave me a chance to take a moment and reflect on this particular day and how I could possibly influence change for the better,” he wrote.
“Although I may think I can change the world at times, the real opportunity today comes for non-Indigenous Australians to be brave enough to be educated about our country’s painful past and by taking part in truth-telling conversations.”
“You have the privilege to be the real influences of this change.
“If you can mourn and grieve with us, then you can heal and grow with us.
“Then we can walk and celebrate together - on another day.”
NBA games postponed due to Covid
Monday's NBA game between San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans has been postponed because each team's contact Covid-19 tracing left them both without the league-required eight players.
The league made the announcement about two hours before the game was scheduled to start in Louisiana and is the 22nd postponed already this season, with all but one occurring this month.
San Antonio became the 24th team to have at least one game postponed so far this season because of coronavirus.
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