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N.B.A. Players March in George Floyd Protests - The New York Times
Jun 02, 2020 2 mins, 59 secs
And the issue of police brutality toward African-Americans has long been a visceral one in a predominantly black league.

A broad range of athletes and sports figures have issued statements on social media condemning the killing of George Floyd and other police violence against African-Americans.

They’ve jumped off the sidelines to join the sprawling protests that have leapt up all over the country, which lines up with an image the N.B.A.

This comes with risk for the players: Some of the protests have turned violent and many demonstrators are not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing in accordance with coronavirus pandemic precautions.

like that of police brutality and the killing of black people, an issue that has touched many black communities in the United States and one that N.B.A.

stars, who play in a predominantly black league, have been keen to speak on for several years.

Jaylen Brown, the 23-year-old rising star for the Celtics, said it took him 15 hours to drive from Boston to Atlanta to take part in protests.

Brown, who went to high school in Georgia, invited others to join him over the weekend, posting a message on Twitter that said, “Atlanta don’t meet me there beat me there come walk with me bring your own signs.” He added in an Instagram story, “First and foremost, I’m a black man and I’m a member of this community … We’re raising awareness for some of the injustices that we’ve been seeing.”.

It began the season in October with an international incident after a Houston Rockets executive expressed support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, causing a protracted debate over whether league executives and players caved to China’s anger over it.

commissioner, Roger Goodell, issued a statement on Saturday that some players on social media found lacking self-awareness.

In response to Floyd’s death, coaches and players have lined up to provide statements, as have teams, some in blunt terms.

The Washington Wizards released a statement from its players that said — in capital letters — “WE WILL NO LONGER TOLERATE THE ASSASSINATION OF PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THIS COUNTRY,” adding, “WE WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT THE ABUSE OF POWER FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT.”.

In a message to league employees on Sunday, Commissioner Adam Silver said, “Racism, police brutality and racial injustice remain part of everyday life in America and cannot be ignored,” adding, “We will work hand-in-hand to create programs and build partnerships in every N.B.A.

players would be able to express themselves at actual games, like in 2014, when many players wore “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts during warm-ups, a reference to Eric Garner, a black man who died in Staten Island after an officer used a chokehold.

The scale at which the deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor — a black emergency room technician who was shot in her own apartment by the Louisville police following the execution of a “no knock warrant” in March — and Ahmaud Arbery — a 25-year-old black man who was pursued by armed white residents in February before being killed — touched a nerve among players and some team executives was on display this weekend.

coaches announced a committee to combat racism, and all the league’s coaches issued a statement Monday condemning Floyd’s killing, adding, that “the reality is that African-Americans are targeted and victimized on a daily basis.” One of those coaches, Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, a frequent critic of President Trump, gave a scathing interview to The Nation on Sunday, blasting Trump’ and his response to the protests

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