Elijah Mcclain’s father honored by coach Michael Malone’s tribute to his son.
Lawayne Mosley, Elijah McClain’s father, has watched the Denver Nuggets for decades.
Going back to the days of Hall of Famers Alex English and Dan Issel roaming the court, Mosley’s been a fan.
When he learned that Nuggets head coach Michael Malone wanted to recognize his son, who died last August after a violent arrest by Aurora police, by way of “Justice for Elijah Mcclain” Tshirts for him and his players, he was floored.
“It really means a lot that they would take the time out of their day to honor my son,” Mosley told The Post. “He would’ve been thrilled. He would’ve been … Oh my goodness.”
The idea came to Malone while sitting in his Orlando hotel room amid the NBA’S restart. As teams and players grappled with the uncomfortable question of whether playing basketball during a time of racial and social unrest was prudent, Malone and the Nuggets made an effort to spark conversations that address racial inequities. The shirts, just one of the team’s many examples, were about highlighting discrimination within Colorado.
“Because this is Aurora, this is our backyard, these are the people that we represent on the court every night, I just felt really strongly about trying to do something where we could honor Elijah Mcclain, his memory, his name, his family,” Malone told The Post. “If the police cameras were not conveniently all knocked off the night of Aug. 24, when he was arrested, 2019, maybe it would’ve been a little bit more sensationalized, like George Floyd’s was, because everybody would’ve seen it. But that didn’t happen. It’s truly a tragic event.”
Malone reached out to Mari Newman, the Mcclain family lawyer, to see if the family was comfortable with the team’s gesture.
“Coach Malone and I had a long conversation, and then I talked to both of Elijah’s parents (Mosley and Sheneen Mcclain) about what we had discussed and they were both very touched by Coach Malone’s concern,” Newman said. “Both his concern for Elijah and also his concern to make sure that the way that he moved forward was respectful to the family’s wishes as well.”
With their blessing, the shirts were ordered.
Malone and players such as Torrey Craig, Troy Daniels and P.J. Dozier have all worn them prior to games. In another example of the team’s social conscience, forward Jerami Grant has dedicated both of his news conferences in Orlando to the memory of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by Louisville, Ky., police in March.
“I’m mentioning Breonna Taylor, but I’m also speaking for all the other African Americans throughout America, or throughout the world that are Africans, that went through a lot of social injustices period,” Grant said.
Having Malone’s backing “shows the type of person he is,” Grant added.
Mosley remains a huge sports fan. He said Elijah, who died at 23, preferred football over basketball but enjoyed all sports.
“He was an athletic person,” Mosley said. “So he really liked all athletic sports. He would’ve loved it. Oh, he would’ve loved it. He would’ve enjoyed this very much, just for them to take the time out to honor him. He’s probably up there smiling now, you know what I mean?”
Mosley is both humbled and grateful that the Nuggets would honor his son.
“It’s just a blessing, and I truly would like to say, ‘Thank you guys, it meant a lot to me,’ ” he said. “That platform is huge. So it gets out there to nationwide and also worldwide.”
On Friday afternoon, Mosley connected with Malone and thanked the coach personally. And yet it was anything but a one-way conversation.
“My thing to him was, ‘I’ve read and heard so many great things about Elijah,’ ” Malone said. “‘Can you tell me a little bit more about him?’ And he just talked about Elijah and the kind of kid he was, such a peaceful person, who loved everyone.”
Malone followed up: What would Elijah’s message be?
“He said, ‘Elijah was all about love and peace, so protest peacefully,’ ” Malone said. “‘We have to find a way to bring about change and do it peacefully.’ ”
Malone was so moved by his conversation with Mosley that the two discussed the possibility of him addressing the team in the future, to share more about who Elijah was as a person.
Newman, herself, isn’t a sports fan, but she said Malone’s gesture and the NBA’S movement have caused her to re-evaluate her position.
“Sports play a huge role in American society, and people like Coach Malone have a platform to lend voice to issues that are incredibly important to people who might not otherwise hear them,” she said.
Mosley can’t help it. On one hand, he’s heartened by the recognition and national attention his son’s case has garnered. But the spotlight also means reliving his worst nightmare.
“It hurts to see it every day, but I’ve been living with it since my son passed,” he said. “It has to get out there and it has to be done, and it should’ve been done a long time ago. I am happy. I am happy that it’s finally getting the recognition that it’s supposed to get and he’s going to get the justice that he deserves because he didn’t deserve any of this.”
The pressure and attention are working. On July 29, the Colorado public health department reopened its investigation into the use of ketamine on Mcclain after “numerous complaints,” according to the department’s spokesperson. The U.S. Department of Justice also announced it would look into whether police violated Mcclain’s civil rights, while Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is now reviewing the case as a special prosecutor after a district attorney declined to file charges against the officers.
Before he and Malone spoke and the topic was raised, Mosley said he would relish the opportunity to thank the Nuggets for bringing more attention to his son’s case.
“If it ever got set up, I’d love to speak to all of them,” he said. “I am a fan, I wouldn’t mind having a jersey signed by you guys. Like I said, it’s truly an honor.”
Numerous times he reiterated how much gratitude he had that the local team had poured energy and investment into his son’s case.
“Just thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I am a true fan,” he said.
And now that basketball is back?
“I’ll be watching, for sure,” he said.