‘Honestly sickening’: athletes speak out
George Floyd’s death after a police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes, as shown in a video posted online, has reignited the conversation around racism, police brutality and unequal treatment by law enforcement.
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was arrested Friday and is facing third-degree murder and manslaughter charges in the death of Floyd, who was 46 years old. All four officers involved in last Monday’s incident were fired.
This painful moment has led to protests across North America, most notably in Minneapolis, and many figures in the sports world have spoken out in support.
Here’s what some of them had to say:
Stephen Jackson: The 14year NBA veteran grew up in Houston with Floyd and called him “my twin”: “You can’t tell me, when that man has his knee on my brother’s neck — taking his life away — that the smirk on his face didn’t say, ‘I’m protected’ ... Where do we go from here? We’re going to the front line and anything you see, so be it. I want you to see it because this is real pain.”
Colin Kaepernick: The former NFL quarterback expressed support for the protesters in Minneapolis. Kaepernick also pledged to provide legal assistance for Minneapolis protesters.
Coco Gauff: The tennis player posted a video to Twitter, wondering “Am I Next?”
LeBron James: The NBA star posted an image to his Instagram account of George Floyd alongside Colin Kaepernick kneeling with the message, “Do you understand NOW!!??!!??”
Magic Johnson: The Basketball Hall of Famer posted to Twitter, “How many times do we have to see black men killed on national television? This has been going on for entirely too long. We need to start seeing black people as human beings and not animals on the street.”
Evander Kane: The San Jose Sharks player wrote on Twitter, “This makes my blood (expletive) boil! All four ‘officers’ need to be jailed for life and it still wouldn’t be enough. The video is all anyone needs to see.”
Alex Morgan: The World Cup-winning U.S. women’s soccer star tweeted, “So sickened beyond words by the brutal police killing of George Floyd. When will all Americans be treated and respected equally regardless of race and gender?? We are yearning for true leadership and inclusivity from the top.”
Steve Kerr: The Golden State Warriors coach wrote on Twitter, “This is murder. Disgusting. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with US????”
Odell Beckham, Jr.: The Cleveland Browns receiver posted to Twitter, “Worlds honestly sickening. It really is..... no explanation.”
Bradley Beal: The Washington Wizards all-star posted to Twitter: “The world will never grow until we are comfortable having the uncomfortable talks and taking action upon them!!!!”
Joe Burrow: Burrow, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, national champion at LSU and the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner, posted to Twitter, “The black community needs our help. They have been unheard for far too long. Open your ears, listen, and speak. This isn’t politics. This is human rights.”
Carson Wentz: The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback posted a message on Twitter, saying, “All I know is that the institutional racism in this country breaks my heart and needs to stop.”