Wizards make statement in photo
WASHINGTON — Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook and the rest of the Washington Wizards wore black T-shirts with one word in white capital letters on each — “accountability,” “equality” or “justice” — for their annual team photo.
“It’s definitely a statement piece for us,” Beal, who is second in the NBA in scoring average this season, said in a video posted Tuesday by the Wizards on Twitter.
“This is us just kind of choosing a few words that we kind of live by and we kind of hold ourselves to as men and as teammates,” Beal added.
His shirt said “Justice.” Westbrook’s said “Accountability.”
“I think it’s amazing how we are, as a team, doing something a little different … having shirts that actually have some substantial meaning behind it,” said Westbrook, who leads the league in assists and is assured of averaging a triple-double over the course of an entire season for the fourth time in his career.
Washington has made a lateseason surge to get itself in position to earn a play-in berth.
Milwaukee approves Brown settlement
The Milwaukee Common Council on Tuesday approved a $750,000 settlement in a lawsuit brought by former Bucks player Sterling Brown over his 2018 arrest in which he was taken to the ground and shocked with a Taser. The incident started when Brown was approached by police over a parking violation.
The settlement does not include an admission that Brown’s constitutional rights were violated, which Brown’s attorney had sought in talks with the city. Instead, it has an apology from the city and Milwaukee police that “recognizes that the incident escalated in an unnecessary manner and despite Mr. Brown’s calm behavior.”
The agreement also requires the city to commit to changes in the police department’s standard operating procedures, including fair and impartial policing, training and career development, personnel investigations and body cameras, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
“With this settlement the city turns a page and embraces the 21st century, where we will insist on recognizing citizens’ rights, human rights and developing a police force of peace officers to work with the community to better our city,” said Mark Thomsen, Brown’s attorney.
Brown, who’s now with the Houston Rockets, said in his lawsuit that police used excessive force and targeted him because he is Black when they confronted him for parking illegally in a handicapped-accessible spot in January 2018. He was talking with officers while waiting for his citation when the situation escalated. Officers took him down and used a stun gun because he didn’t immediately follow orders to remove his hands from his pockets.
Anthony surpasses Hayes on scoring list
Carmelo Anthony looked like he was all done just a couple of seasons ago.
Now, he’s part of a truly exclusive club in the NBA. Welcome to the top 10, Melo. Anthony scored 14 points Monday night in Portland’s 123114 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, moving him past Elvin Hayes for 10th place on the career scoring list with 27,318.
“If you’re in the top 10 of anything of all time, it’s a special moment,” said Anthony, who is in his 18th NBA season and turns 37 before the month is out.
Anthony was fully aware of how many points he needed to surpass Hayes.
“I knew this moment,” he said. “I didn’t know those other moments — 15, 13, 11. But 10 is something I knew.“