Nets statement on Floyd killing: ‘Enough is Enough’
The Brooklyn Nets, Long Island Nets, New York Liberty and Barclays Center issued a joint statement Sunday morning in the aftermath of the protests and riots taking place across the country in response to the death of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died in Minnesota after a white police officer was recorded on video kneeling on his neck for almost nine minutes.
“We mourn the senseless and devastating loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others who lost their lives because of racial bias,” reads the statement, signed by Nets owner Joe Tsai and his wife Clara; Nets alternate governor Ollie Weisberg; general manager Sean Marks, Long Island Nets VP of business operations Alton Byrd; Liberty COO Keia Clarke and GM Jonathan Kolb. “Today we stand up and speak up against all forms of racism — overt or subconscious — especially against the Black community.
“We want to say ‘Enough is Enough.’ ”
The statement came the day after protests outside of Barclays Center escalated, resulting in over 200 arrests.
“Not all of us can ever be in a position to experience the personal pain, fear and despair of Black Americans in light of the events,” the statement continues. “But our instinct tells us that the lack of respect for human life, fueled by prejudices, is simply wrong. All people, regardless of color, race or ethnicity, deserve to be treated with human dignity and be protected from violence.
“Our hearts are broken by the attacks on personal safety and dignity of the Black community. While we feel the raw emotion, we call for a peaceful response in our joint fight against racism. This is not the time to be vengeful. This is a time to effect change.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves have also taken a head-on approach. Both Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Okogie were part of a rally former NBA player Stephen Jackson held in Minneapolis. Floyd was a friend of Jackson’s for 20 years.
“It just tells us that as a black whole that we’re tired. We’re tired of being treated like we’re less than,” Okogie told The Athletic. “We’re tired of being alienated. And also just to tell people that we’re not going to normalize this. We’re not going to feel desensitized to this and we’re not going anywhere. I feel like this is very important letting people know that we belong here as well.”
Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri also spoke out on Floyd’s death, writing an op-ed in the Canada-based publication The Globe and Mail. Ujiri titled his opinion piece, “To overcome racism, we need to be more than merely good. We must raise our voices.”
“So many of you are asking: What can I do? There is a sense of helplessness, but that must not paralyze us,” he wrote. “Your voice matters, especially when you are a leader or influential figure, and especially if you are white. Leaders have to be bold enough to state the obvious and call out racism.
“The conversation can no longer be avoided because it is hard. We have to have it. Now.”
Starting Nets center DeAndre Jordan also tweeted a photo of silhouettes of brown and black faces with the words “enough is enough” drawn next to them. His caption reads: “Our voices have gone unheard for too long. The outcry for racial justice has spilled over across the country and it’s time to wake up. We need to use this same energy to make sure we move forward with the transparency needed to create a system of equality. Peace & Love”