“Of course,” the reporter responded.

“That’s pretty cool,” Rivers said.

The reporter then asked Rivers he if regrets calling Good’s death a “straight-up murder” and was asked his definition of murder.

“I don’t change [what I said] at all,” he said. “You know my dad was a cop. My best friend is a cop and he’s probably more upset about it than me. I thought … the training of ICE is horrible. We all know that. Being in Minnesota where there’s 130,000 undocumented people, why not Texas where there’s 1.7 million undocumented people?

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“Look at the NBA. We’re celebrating Pioneers Day today. I look at our league and I think [Hakeem] Olajuwon could have been taken off the streets. But right now, the way Brown people feel, only the Brown people would be taken off the streets. And it’s just not right and it’s not morally right. So I stand by my words 100 percent.”

When asked if he thought Brown people in America legally should be concerned about ICE, Rivers said: “We all should be. If you’re walking down the street and Tom Homan, who is the head of ICE, just said they’re targeting people by their color and if they can speak the language, if you’re Brown, you’re nervous because I don’t see anybody going into the Ukrainian villages and arresting anybody.

“All we can go by is what we see. That’s all I can go by. Not saying I’m 100 percent right about everything. I think everybody in this room wants a safer America. I don’t know if what we’re doing right now is making us safer. I know there’s two people in Minnesota who would definitely disagree.”

Rivers then touched on the importance of Pioneers Day. The trio of Cooper, Earl Lloyd, and Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton each made their NBA debuts during the 1950-51 season. Lloyd was the first Black player to play in the NBA on Oct. 31, 1950. Cooper made his debut a day later, and Clifton four days later.

“What I think Pioneers Day represents to me is America,” Rivers said. “Red Auerbach is responsible for our achievements as much as anyone else. He didn’t see color. He wanted to make the league a better league and he kept doing it, hiring Bill Russell as coach. You think about this city that’s had its ups and downs race wise, but you have this one guy and, I got it a little bit, but when you come here and coach here, you really get it with Red, what he was about. Pioneers Day for me, being the coach here for nine years, means a lot.”

Rivers said feels obligated to speak on social issues when he feels there is an injustice, and he admits it comes at a cost.

“I don’t get into the politics or the economy or who feels what president is better, I don’t get involved in that,” Rivers said. “I just think when things are morally wrong, it shouldn’t be me. It should be everybody in this room, if you feel strongly about it. What we see on the streets right now, you cannot morally feel good about that, no American can. And that’s why I speak out.

“And I do tell our [players] there are consequences. There was an Arthur Ashe. There was a Muhammad Ali. There was a Howard Cosell and they all spoke out. And some paid consequences for it. That’s just part of it.”

Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.