Several NFL players joined other stars on Sunday to support the “I can’t breathe” protests sweeping the US demanding justice for black men who have died at the hands of white policemen.
On Saturday, Chicago Bulls NBA star Derrick Rose wore a T-shirt bearing the words, which has become the slogan of demonstrations in major US cities because they were the last phrase uttered by a black father of six in New York when police placed him in a chokehold.
Eric Garner died, but a grand jury on Wednesday last week decided not to charge the white police officer, triggering days of protests in several US cities.
Detroit Lions running back Reggie Bush wore a top with “I can’t breathe” written on it ahead of an NFL game on Sunday, as did Cleveland Browns ace Johnson Bademosi.
Davin Joseph, a St Louis Rams guard, wrote the same words on his cleats and tweeted it, along with the caption: “RIP Eric Garner.”
Five Rams players incurred the wrath of a St Louis police organization a week ago when they entered the field with the same “hands up, don’t shoot” gesture adopted by protesters in the St Louis suburb of Ferguson after a white policeman there shot dead an unarmed black teenager. A grand jury also decided not to indict the officer involved in that case.
Rose’s teammate Joakim Noah said Rose told him he had planned to wear the shirt and Noah supported it.
“I think a lot of people feel that way,” Noah said of Rose’s gesture. “It’s really sad what happened. Police brutality is something that happens. Not every cop is a bad person. Not every black person is a bad person. You can’t judge people. But he definitely made a statement by wearing that T-shirt.”
Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James said on Sunday he thought Rose’s shirt was “spectacular.”
“I loved it,” James said as his Cleveland Cavaliers prepared to play the Brooklyn Nets, a game that was to be attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in New York. “I’m looking for one.”
Prince William and his pregnant wife Kate were to attend their first NBA game yesterday, during a three-day US visit.
The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player nicknamed “King James” said it would be a “huge honor” to play before the royal couple when he leads the Cavaliers in search of their seventh win in a row at the Barclays Center.
“You read about people like them only in books growing up,” James said. “To hear that they’re coming to town to see me play and they want to see me do what I do best, it’s a huge honor.”
The NBA said on Sunday the royal couple would attend the game as part of a new partnership between the league and the Royal Foundation, a project linking the league’s NBA Cares program with the foundation’s United for Wildlife and Coach Core programs.
The projects will unite NBA players and England’s royalty to promote global wildlife conservation, develop a new generation of conservation leaders and boost the sport of basketball.
“I think it’s great different people from different parts of the world want to come see great stars like LeBron and want to see the great game of basketball here in the United States,” Cavaliers coach David Blatt said.
New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony will take part in a Coach Core graduation event to develop new basketball coaches when his team visits London to play the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 14 in a regular-season matchup.
United for Wildlife efforts, led by Prince William, will receive a boost from NBA stars such as Spanish Olympian Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder, retired African NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo and two-time NBA All-Star Al Horford of Atlanta.
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