Sports

Hollinger: Of course the Lakers were going to draft Bronny and other NBA Draft takeaways

Published

2 years ago

June 29, 2024

Hollinger: Of course the Lakers were going to draft Bronny and other NBA Draft takeaways

It was a historic moment, setting up the first father-son combination in NBA history. But I wouldn’t quite go so far as to call it heartwarming.
More like: It is what it is.

Of course the Los Angeles Lakers were going to draft Bronny James if he was there with the 55th pick. Just call it Thanasis TakeTwoakounmpo: Selecting the younger James was an incredibly inexpensive insurance policy to keep potential free agent LeBron James in L.A.

Of course the Lakers weren’t going to mind the cost, not when the typical return on pick No. 55 is bupkes. If he turns into an actual player, so much the better, but that wasn’t the core part of the calculation here, even if no sane Laker staffer would say this in their out-loud voice.

Finally, the other part too many people missed: Of course James was going to be there for the Lakers to select with that pick. Usually agents have limited leverage to dictate a player’s landing spot on draft night, especially when it comes to second-rounders. But nothing about this case was usual.

In particular, I’ve had people ask me since midseason about what would happen if another team drafted the younger James and then tried to keep him as a hostage, theoretically forcing the Lakers to overpay to wrest him away. It would have been hilarious if the rival Boston Celtics, picking one choice ahead of the Lakers at 54th, selected him.

But in reality, Bronny wasn’t a valuable hostage because he had options. If an unwanted team had called his bluff, Bronny James could have played overseas or signed the one-year tender and waited out the team that drafted him or just plain sat out, knowing that A) he didn’t need the money and B) the Lakers would always be there waiting. Few other 55th picks can say the same thing.

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Bronny James is now a Laker. Here’s what lies ahead in his NBA career

And with that … I’m already exhausted. Soon we’ll have breathless updates from his NBA Summer League games (remember, the Lakers are also playing in the California Classic ahead of summer league, so James would start playing July 6 in San Francisco against Sacramento), because Bronny James moves the needle.

But all I can think about is what an unfortunate circus it creates for a developmental teenage player who, while not without talent, is clearly a long way away. Most 55th picks don’t make it, and even the ones who do scrape out a tenuous existence as the E’Twaun Moores and Aaron Wigginses of the league. I’m not convinced this situation improves the younger James’ chances of being an exception.

On to my other big thoughts from the two-day NBA Draft extravaganza:

Luxury tax avoidance, Part 1

While the tax aprons of the new collective bargaining agreement have been the biggest story in the early days of the offseason, let’s not forget that scourge of yore: the plain ol’ luxury tax. Certainly a few NBA teams haven’t.

Sacramento traded itself below the tax line in a salary dump with Toronto that saw the Kings send the 45th pick (used on guard Jamal Shead) and a juicy Portland 2025 second-rounder to the Raptors. The Kings cut over $8 million in salary by sending Sasha Vezenkov and Davion Mitchell to Toronto for Jalen McDaniels, lightening a glut of superfluous backcourt players and adding a true four in the process.

I would argue the Kings might have given up on Vezenkov a year too soon — European imports often need a year to get their sea legs — but he was fairly duplicative of Trey Lyles. Sacramento now has $8 million in wiggle room under the tax line and at least two open roster spots; I’d expect a backup center to be one of them. If they wanted, the Kings could even go back over the tax line by using their entire non-taxpayer midlevel exception, though I wouldn’t bet on it.

For Toronto, Shead becomes an additional asset from the Pascal Siakam trade with Indiana this winter — the Raptors could make this trade because they had a $10 million trade exception left over from that deal.

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What it was like for Raptors to have first the pick of the NBA Draft’s second round

Luxury tax avoidance, Part 2

In Portland, we had a combination salary dump and acquisition that got the Trail Blazers out of the tax and brought in a likely starter in Deni Avdija. The Blazers sent out the more expensive Malcolm Brogdon and created a $6.9 million trade exception, leaving Portland with a full boat of 15 contracts and $4.6 million in wiggle room below the tax line.

Malcolm Brogdon is headed to D.C. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

But this was expensive; the Blazers gave up the 14th pick in Wednesday’s first round (used by Washington on guard Bub Carrington) and an unprotected first in 2029 that is the second best of Portland’s, Milwaukee’s or Boston’s, plus two future second-rounders. Avdija is a good player on a sweet contract, just beginning a four-year, $55 million extension this fall, but the Blazers are likely to take their lumps again this coming season as basically the only team in the Western Conference without playoff aspirations.

The question now: Can Portland recoup those picks in deals for veterans Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton or Anfernee Simons?

Luxury tax avoidance, Part 3

The Hawks dealt with their “problem” of winning the lottery and the higher salary that came with the No. 1 pick by trading AJ Griffin to Houston, putting the Hawks within easy hailing distance of the luxury-tax line and all but assuring the first apron won’t be an issue in the short term.

That’s likely all Atlanta needs for now, as any Trae Young or Dejounte Murray deal is likely to cut salary and get the Hawks the rest of the $3 million to $4 million in breathing room they need to get below the tax for the season.

Apron avoidance

Denver isn’t likely to end up all the way out of the luxury tax, but the Nuggets will end up surprisingly close. With Denver seeming likely to lose Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency, and having surrendered three second-round picks to Charlotte just to drop a $5.2 million salary in Reggie Jackson, the Nuggets are right at the tax line.

Getting there has been a journey. The Nuggets have traded every draft pick they can legally trade, although they still can move some first-round pick swaps. Every future second is spoken for, and because of the Stepien rule, the Nuggets can’t trade a first until after the 2025 draft.

In fact, they technically traded a couple of their picks going to Charlotte twice. There is a low-but-not-zero probability that the 2029 and 2030 second-round picks the Nuggets gave to the Hornets would instead be needed to satisfy the terms of two previous trades with Oklahoma City, although it would only happen if the Nuggets picked in the top five three straight years from 2027 to 2029. That’s probably not worth the Hornets sweating, although it’s a fun topic for cap nerds.

Boldest move

Minnesota has no assets and somehow still traded into the lottery to grab Rob Dillingham with the eighth pick by sending San Antonio a pick swap in 2030 and its own first-round pick, top-one protected, in 2031.

The Wolves are deep enough into the tax that adding talent on the first year of a rookie contract had to be tempting, and this particular move solved three problems: a lack of shot creation in the second unit, a lack of a succession plan at point guard behind the 36-year-old Mike Conley and a lack of young talent on Anthony Edwards’ timeline. If Dillingham hits, they have all three.

Minnesota partly offset the salary cap cost by offloading little-used guard Wendell Moore, but the Wolves still are $27 million over the projected tax line — way past the second apron — with only 11 players under contract. It seems likely they’ll end up with a frozen 2032 draft pick and a huge tax bill this year, which is a scary place for a mid-size market team with an ongoing ownership dispute. But they have a contending team right now, and for the moment, at least, they’re spending to keep it there.

GO DEEPER

Analysis, fits for all 58 NBA Draft picks from John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie

This draft had questions

You know it maybe wasn’t a great draft when commentators discussing the top pick spew adjectives like “competent” and “complementary.” Was it the fate of the Hawks to finally win the draft lottery when the big prize was … adding some wing depth?

No, this wasn’t the Victor Wembanyama draft. The Minnesota-San Antonio transaction above was one of several that were indicative of a relatively low value being placed on picks in this draft, considered the weakest in years by many analysts. I mean, the Spurs really tapped out of the eighth pick to get a Wolves choice seven years from now and a possibly valueless swap six years out?

Yes, they did, and they weren’t the only ones who were quick to ask for the check and get in the valet line. Orlando bailed on the middle of the second round — pick No. 47 — without even getting a full draft pick; the Magic received second-round pick swaps from the Pelicans in the distant beyond of 2030 and 2031. Portland, as noted above, was willing to send the 14th pick to the Wizards in the Avdija trade despite being a rebuilding team itself. The Phoenix Suns only needed a top-45 protected 2028 second from Boston to move themselves from 56th to 40th.

An anticipated trade flurry in the early part of the draft never really materialized, in part, because nobody wanted what these teams were selling. Moving down is only a rewarding draft strategy if there are desperate suitors trying to move up. The 2024 draft wasn’t that kind of party.

Weirdest pick

I’m still scratching my head over the Milwaukee Bucks’ selection of A.J. Johnson with the 23rd pick. For starters, Milwaukee also had a pick at No. 33 that it used, and Johnson was highly likely to still be there at the top of Round 2.

AJ Johnson drives to the basket during a National Basketball League playoff game. (Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images)

Whether it was three, 23 or 53, Johnson failed to check some other key boxes for the Bucks. Milwaukee is a pretty extreme win-now team, and Johnson is a pretty extreme win-later pick given that he barely got minutes in the vastly worst Australian League this past season. He’s only 19 and 160 pounds; whatever he’s going to be, it will take a while to get here.

Johnson’s lack of shooting makes him a very difficult player to introduce into the Bucks’ Giannis-centric ecosystem. He would have to make considerable strides just to be playable in the Bucks’ best contention time frame, and he was picked high enough that it has real opportunity cost: Milwaukee easily could have selected a more ready player (such as Creighton shooter Baylor Scheierman, who went to Boston instead) or parlayed the pick into more veteran talent.

The Bucks at least made out better at pick No. 33, when they tabbed G League Ignite stretch big Tyler Smith. He’s another teenager who needs to refine his craft, but his skill level on offense could allow him to play a bit more regularly while he learns.

Most divisive pick

I’m not sure how Zach Edey is going to work out in Memphis, but I am very sure he will be among the league leaders in opinions between now and opening day. Adding to the mystery: Edey might not be available for summer league, as he’s joining the Canadian national team in training for the Olympics.

There are multiple elements to this discussion. First, the question of Edey’s ability to survive on defense in the NBA. While he was very effective playing drop coverage in the Big Ten, the speed and perimeter focus of the NBA will challenge him in ways college basketball couldn’t.

And second of all, there’s the fit issue of putting a Clydesdale out there with the greyhounds. Memphis wants to run, and Ja Morant and Co. may end up leaving Edey in the dust. The Grizzlies also seemed to be tilting toward a smaller, faster alignment with former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. playing center; adding Edey to the mix would push Jackson back to the four and leave Memphis bigger and slower.

How will it work out? We likely won’t get much information until October.

GO DEEPER

The IkoSystem: What exactly are the Grizzlies up to taking Zach Edey at the NBA Draft?

Best value

Utah grabbed the players I had ranked ninth and 12th on my board … with pick Nos. 29 and 32. Kyle Filipowski and Isaiah Collier both had weaknesses that turned off some scouts, but they were young, highly productive college players who were asked to fill big roles. I think each might be able to come in and play rotation minutes right away, although both players need to become more consistent from beyond the arc to become long-term pieces.

Worst value

Orlando gets it for the second year in a row. One year after drafting Jett Howard, my 38th-ranked player, at No. 11, the Magic took Colorado forward Tristan da Silva, my 51st-ranked player, at No. 18.

Da Silva, like Howard, offered some promise with a size-shooting combination, but the rest of his resume is deeply underwhelming. And unlike Howard, da Silva is also 23. As our Mike Vorkunov noted, the history of top-20 picks this old has been extremely disappointing.

(Top photo of Zach Edey: Grace Hollars / IndyStar / USA Today; top photo of Bronny James: Jeff Haynes / NBAE via Getty Images)

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Sports

Eileen Gu reflects on decision to leave Team USA for China: ‘A lot of people just don’t understand’

Published

11 hours ago

March 3, 2026

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Eileen Gu reflects on decision to leave Team USA for China: ‘A lot of people just don’t understand’

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Eileen Gu released a statement on social media Monday, reflecting on her controversial decision to compete for Team China despite being born and raised in the U.S.

Gu’s statement tied the decision back to her passion for promoting women’s sports, and encouraging young girls to pursue sports.

“I gave my first speech on women in sports and title IX when I was 11 years old. I talked about being the only girl on my ski team, and, despite attending an all-girls’ school from Monday through Friday, becoming best friends with my teammates on the weekends through the common language of sport,” Gu wrote on Instagram.

Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China poses for photos after the awarding ceremony of the freestyle skiing women’s freeski big air event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Photo by Wang Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images) (Wang Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)

“At the same time, I was made painfully aware of the lack of representation – at age 9, I felt that I was somehow representing all women every time I stepped in the terrain park. Landing tricks was about more than progression … it was about disproving the derisive implication of what it meant to ‘ski like a girl.’”

Gu went on to express gratitude for the one season in which she did compete for the U.S.

“When I was 15, I announced my decision to compete for China. At the time, I had spent one season on the US team, and had been lucky enough to meet my heroes in person. I am forever grateful for that season, and continue to maintain a close relationship with the team. I had spent every summer in China since I was 8 setting up summer camps on trampoline and dry slope for kids and adults, ranging from 7 to 47 years old, so I knew the industry was tiny. I felt like I knew everyone,” she added.

“Skiing for Team China meant the opportunity to uplift others through the universal culture of sport, and to introduce freeskiing to hundreds of millions of people who had never heard of it, especially with the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics around the corner.”

Gu’s statement concluded by acknowledging that certain people “don’t understand” her decision to compete for China over the U.S., while insisting the choice maximized the impact she would have.

“I can look back now, at 22, and tell 12 year old Eileen that there are now terrain parks full of little girls, who will never doubt their place in the sport. I can tell 15 year old me that there are now millions of girls who have started skiing since then, in China and worldwide,” Gu wrote.

“A lot of people won’t understand or believe that I made a decision to create the greatest amount of positive impact on the world stage that I could, at this age, given my interests and passions. Three golds and six medals later, I can confidently say was once a dream is now a reality.”

Gu has become a target for global criticism this Olympics for her decision to represent China while remaining silent on the country’s alleged human rights abuses.

In an interview with Time magazine, Gu was asked her thoughts on China’s alleged persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

“I haven’t done the research. I don’t think it’s my business. I’m not going to make big claims on my social media,” Gu answered.

“I’m just more of a skeptic when it comes to data in general. … So, it’s not like I can read an article and be like, ‘Oh, well, this must be the truth.’ I need to have a ton of evidence. I need to maybe go to the place, maybe talk to 10 primary source people who are in a location and have experienced life there.

“Then I need to go see images. I need to listen to recordings. I need to think about how history affects it. Then I need to read books on how politics affects it. This is a lifelong search. It’s irresponsible to ask me to be the mouthpiece for any agenda.”

More controversy surrounding Gu erupted after The Wall Street Journal reported that Gu and another American-born athlete who now competes for China, were paid a combined $6.6 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025.

Gu is the highest-paid Winter Olympics athlete in the world, making an estimated $23 million in 2025 alone due to partnerships with Chinese companies, including the Bank of China and western companies.

Her alignment with China prompted criticism from many Americans this Olympics, including Vice President J.D. Vance.

“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that makes this country a great place, I would hope they want to compete with the United States of America,” Vance said in an interview on Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum.”

Later, when Gu was asked if she feels “like a bit of a punching bag for a certain strand of American politics at the moment,” she said she does.

“I do,” she said. “So many athletes compete for a different country. … People only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So, it’s not really about what they think it’s about.

“And, also, because I win. Like, if I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me. People are entitled to their opinions.”

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Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China attends the awarding ceremony of the freestyle skiing women’s freeski big air event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Hongxiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Gu has claimed she was “physically assaulted” for the decision.

“The police were called. I’ve had death threats. I’ve had my dorm robbed,” Gu told The Athletic.

“I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever.”

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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.

Sports

Arnold, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Evans, Carl Lewis new members of California’s Hall of Fame

Published

12 hours ago

March 3, 2026

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Arnold, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Evans, Carl Lewis new members of California’s Hall of Fame

From Hollywood actors to Olympic athletes and politicians, California’s newest Hall of Fame class runs the gamut in talent and achievements.

Academy Award-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis and former governor/action star Arnold Schwarzenegger, Olympic champions Janet Evans and Carl Lewis, authors Riane Eisler and Terry McMillan, chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, groundbreaking ensemble Mariachi Reyne de Los Ángeles and former state Democratic leader John L. Burton all earned a spot into the assembly of distinct Californians, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday.

This class, the 19th in state history, will be formally enshrined during a ceremony at the California Museum in Sacramento on March 19 as a “celebration of their contributions to civic life, creativity, and social progress,” according to Newsom’s office.

The inductees “have reshaped our culture and our communities. Resilient and innovative, these leaders and luminaries represent the best of the California spirit,” Newsom said in a statement.

To be inducted, candidates must have lived in California for at least five years and “have made achievements benefiting the state, nation and world,” according to the California Hall of Fame website. To date, 166 Californians have been selected by three governors since 2006.

Schwarzenegger, 78, served as the state’s 38th governor and last Republican head of state from 2003 to 2011. His renaissance man biography includes a career as a body builder, highlighted by his Mr. Universe titles, action film success, political stardom and even tabloid-fodder infidelity.

Curtis, 67, a Santa Monica native, is among Hollywood’s elite and teamed with Schwarzenegger in the action blockbuster “True Lies” in 1994. Her acting career dates to 1977, and she earned a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 2023 for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

Evans, 54, is a four-time Olympic gold medal swimmer and Fullerton native who attended Placentia El Dorado High School, Stanford University and USC. She serves as chief athletic officer for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Lewis, 64, is considered by many one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. The track star won 10 medals, nine of them gold, in four Olympics.

Eisler, 88, and McMillan, 74, added multiple bestsellers to this Hall of Fame class.

Eisler’s critically acclaimed “The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future” examines roughly 20,000 years of partnership between men and women and male domination over the last 5,000 years. The futurist, cultural historian and Holocaust survivor who has degrees in sociology and law from UCLA said she was informed of the honor last year by Jennifer Siebel Newsom and recently was honored by the Austrian government with its Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class.

“I am very honored at this time in my life to be inducted into the California Hall of Fame,” Eisler wrote in an email. “I have worked tirelessly to help create a better world, and firmly believe that a new paradigm, a new way of looking at our world and our place in it, is crucial.”

McMillan has written a series of smash hits, including a couple that became major studio films in the ‘90s, “Waiting to Exhale” and “How Stella Got her Groove Back,” centered on Black women’s voices.

Matsuhisa, 76, know for his iconic Japanese restaurant Nobu, which has six locations in California, owns businesses across five continents.

Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles, founded in South El Monte, rewrote the rules of music, becoming the first all-woman mariachi ensemble that has entertained for more than three decades.

Burton, the former chair of the California Democratic Party who died last year at 92, boasted a political career that included time in the California State Assembly and Senate and the U.S. House.

“This year’s class embodies the very best of California — creativity, resilience and a spirit of community,” Siebel Newsom said in a statement. “These honorees remind us that innovation and courage flourish when people are lifted up by those around them.”

Sports

Former NFL Players Of Iranian Descent Speak Up For Freedom From Islamic Regime

Published

23 hours ago

March 3, 2026

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Former NFL Players Of Iranian Descent Speak Up For Freedom From Islamic Regime

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Ali Haji-Sheikh and Shar Pourdanesh share the fact they are retired NFL players living beyond the glow of the NFL spotlight. But they also share another distinction tying them to current events: They are part of the Iranian diaspora hoping for the downfall of the Islamic revolution.

They make up part of a small group of men who played in the NFL – along with David Bakhtiari, his brother Eric Bakhtiari and T.J. Housmandzadeh – who are decedents of Iranians.

Washington Redskins kicker Ali Haji-Sheikh (6) talks to reporters at Jack Murphy Stadium during media day prior to Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos. San Diego, California, on Jan. 26, 1988.(Darr Beiser/USA TODAY Sports)

Haji-Sheikh: Self-Determination For Iranians

Haji-Sheikh, 65, played in the 1980s for the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins. He was a first-team All-Pro, made the Pro Bowl and was on the NFL All-Rookie team in 1983 for the Giants and, in his final season, won a Super Bowl XXII ring playing for the Washington Redskins and kicking six extra points in a 42-10 blowout of the Denver Broncos.

Now, Haji-Sheikh is the general manager at a Michigan Porsche-Audi dealership and is like the rest of us: Keeping up with world events when time permits.

Except the war the United States is currently waging against the Islamic Republic of Iran is kind of different because Haji-Sheikh’s dad emigrated from Iran to the United States in the 1950s and built a life here.

And his son would like to see freedom come to a country he’s never visited but has a kinship to.

“It’s a world event,” Haji-Sheikh said on Monday. “I am not a big fan of the Islamic revolution because I am not Islamic. I would like to see the people of Iran be able to determine their own future rather than it be determined by a few people. It would be nice to see them having a stable government where the people can actually decide how they want it to go.

Green Bay Packers kicker Al Del Greco (10) talks with New York Giants kicker Ali Haji-Sheikh (6) on Sept. 15, 1985, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Giants 23-20.

Iranians Celebrating And Americans Protesting

Haji-Sheikh hasn’t taken to the streets of his native Michigan to celebrate a liberation that hasn’t fully manifested mere days after the American and Israeli bombing and elimination of the Ayatollah.

“I’m so far removed from that,” Haji-Sheikh said. “My mom is from Michigan and of Eastern European background. My dad is from Iran. But it’s like, he hasn’t been back since I was in eighth grade, so that’s a long time ago. That was when the Shah was still in power, mid-70s, ‘74 or ’75, because if he ever went back after that he never would have left. They would have held him, so there was no intention of going back.

“But if things change he might want to go, you never know.”

Despite being removed from any activism about what is happening in Iran Haji-Sheikh is an astute observer.

“My favorite thing I’m seeing right now on TV is the Iranians in America celebrating because there’s a chance, a glimpse, maybe a hope for freedom,” Haji-Sheikh said. “And you have these people in New York protesting. What are you protesting?”

Pourdanesh Thanks America, Israel

Pourdanesh retired from the NFL in 2000 after a seven-year career with the Redskins and Steelers. The six-foot-six and 312-pound offensive tackle was born in Tehran. He proudly tells people he was the NFL’s first Iranian-born player.

Pourdanesh is much more visible and open about his feelings about his country than others. And, bottom line, he loves that President Donald Trump is bombing the Islamic regime.

“This is a great day for all Iranians across the world,” Pourdanesh posted on his Instagram account on Saturday when the war began. “Thank you, President Trump, thank you to the nation of Israel. Thank you for everybody that has been standing up for my people, my brothers and sisters in Iran across the world. This is a great day.

“The infamous dictator is dead – the one person who has contributed to deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iranians and other people around the world, if not more. So, congratulations to my Iranian brothers and sisters. Now, go and take back the country.”

This message was not a one-off. Pourdanesh has been posting about what has been happening in Iran since January, when people in Iran took to the streets demanding liberty and the government’s thugs began killing them, with some estimates rising to 36,500 deaths.

Offensive lineman Shar Pourdanesh (68) of the Pittsburgh Steelers blocks against defensive lineman Jevon Kearse (90) of the Tennessee Titans during a game at Three Rivers Stadium on Sept. 24, 2000, in Pittsburgh. The Titans defeated the Steelers 23-20. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

‘Islam Does Not Represent The Iranian People’

“[The] Islamic Republic does not represent the Iranian people,” Pourdanesh said in another post. “Islam does not represent the Iranian people. For almost 50 years, the Iranian people and our country of Iran has been taken hostage by a terrorist regime, and it’s time to take that regime down.”

Pourdanesh was not available for comment on Monday. I did speak to a handful of other Iranian-Americans on Monday. They didn’t play in the NFL, but their opinions are no less valuable than those of former NFL players.

And these people, some of them participating in rallies on behalf of a free Iran, do not understand the thinking of some Americans and mainstream media.

One complained that media that reports on reparations for black Americans based on slavery in the 1800s dismisses the Islamic takeover of the American Embassy in 1979 as an old grievance.

Another said his brother lives in England, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer immediately called the American and Israeli attacks on the Ayatollah’s regime “illegal” but, as the head of the Crown Prosecution Service took years to do the same of Muslim rape (grooming) gangs in the country.

(Starmer announced a national “statutory inquiry” in June 2025).

Offensive lineman Shar Pourdanesh of the Washington Redskins looks on from the sideline during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on Sept. 7, 1997, in Pittsburgh. The Steelers defeated the Redskins 14-13. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

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Pourdanesh Calls Out NFL Silence

And finally, Pourdanesh put the NFL on blast. He said in yet another post that during his career, the NFL asked him to honor black history, asked him to stand for women’s rights, asked him to fight for equality for those who cannot defend themselves.

“I did everything they asked, and now I ask the NFL this: Where are you now? Why haven’t we heard a single word out of the NFL? NFL, Commissioner Roger Goodell, all the NFL teams out there, all the players who say they stand for social justice, where are you now?

“Why haven’t we heard a single word out of you with regard to the people who have been killed as of today? The very values you claim to espouse are being trampled right now. Why haven’t we heard a single word?”

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