As nationwide protests continue for a fifth straight day over the killing of George Floyd by a police officer who had a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes, many luminaries in the sports world are speaking out.
Former NBA player Stephen Jackson was a longtime friend of Floyd’s, having grown up together in Texas, and was among the first to speak out, traveling to Minneapolis as part of protests that have now popped up in just about every major city in the United States. He was joined by Karl-Anthony Towns and other members of the Timberwolves, and others have stepped up in recent days. Jaylen Brown led a protest in Atlanta that was also attended by Malcolm Brogdon, while LeBron James and other prominent NBA players have spoken out on their various social media platforms.
On Sunday, Charlotte Hornets owner and NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan issued a statement through the team indicating his sadness, pain, and anger at yet another example of police brutality towards black people in America, resulting in another tragic and unnecessary loss of life.
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) May 31, 2020
Jordan joins the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as legendary sports figures to speak out on the issue, but given Jordan’s relative quietness on political and social issues in the past (something addressed recently in The Last Dance), it’s meaningful and noteworthy that he is speaking out strongly on this issue.