The entire nation is reeling after the death of George Floyd, an African-American man in Minneapolis killed after a police officer was caught on video kneeling on his neck for over seven minutes. Floyd's death has sparked protests against police brutality, specifically against the African-American community, across the country. People are taking to the streets to educate others and demand an end to racism.
Those protests have featured a number of prominent members of the increasingly socially conscious sports community. Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown even drove 15 hours from Boston to Atlanta to participate in protests there. Trae Young spoke at a peaceful protest and many others have walked with people asking for change.
Even those who did not participate in the protests directly have used their platforms to voice their opinions. Some of the biggest names in sports including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Derek Jeter, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods and Alex Ovechkin are using their voices to help create a necessary change. One notable group response came from the Ohio State football team:
#BlackLivesMatter #FightForChange pic.twitter.com/8irD337wEy
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) June 2, 2020
They were far from the only prominent athletes to speak out. Below is just a sampling of the sports world's reaction to what is happening around the country.
Statement from Michael Jordan: pic.twitter.com/lWkZOf1Tmr
— Jordan (@Jumpman23) May 31, 2020
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) June 2, 2020
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) June 1, 2020
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) June 1, 2020
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) June 1, 2020
Dabo: "First and foremost I know that we are all hurting for the Floyd family and our country. I can speak for our entire staff and our team in that regard for sure. We have all witnessed just disgusting acts of evil. That’s really the only word I can appropriately use."
— Grace Raynor (@gmraynor) June 1, 2020
We want to be better, we need to be better, and this is our promise to do the work. pic.twitter.com/2cI6pCBdVb
— MLB (@MLB) June 3, 2020
Change The Game❤️🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/otPpYIBkJx
— P.K. Subban (@PKSubban1) June 3, 2020
I’m siding with my brothers that deal, and continuously deal, with things I will never experience. The injustice is clear.. and so is the hate. It can no longer be explained away. If you’re still “explaining” it - check your heart and ask why.
— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) May 29, 2020
Worlds honestly sickening. It really is..... no explanation
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) May 27, 2020
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) May 27, 2020
Trae Young spoke at peaceful protests.
(Some language NSFW)
🖤🙏🏾 For the Floyd Family! https://t.co/5Q0cNuqvAK
— Deshaun Watson (@deshaunwatson) June 3, 2020
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 7, 2020
We need you to love black people as much as you love black culture
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) June 1, 2020
A statement from Patrice Bergeron.
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 3, 2020
To those who wish to support:
NAACP Boston: https://t.co/uXXPUDXivO
Centre Multiethnique de Quebec: https://t.co/aS9a57RWOi pic.twitter.com/IVKU1hMNd6
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) June 3, 2020
Seems some in my timeline are confused or curious. So let me be clear.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 2, 2020
Black Lives Matter. They are hurting and upset and it’s time for me to listen.
Riots, violence, and looting is bad and needs to stop.
We all better get this shit figured out and fix it.
Love and Respect.
If anybody that follows me is not outraged about these senseless attacks on BLACK MEN, please stop following me! If your spirit is not disturbed, please stop following me! This inflicted Pain but it will never inflict FEAR... sorry, were not made like that! #BlackMenMatter pic.twitter.com/A9tSSzOSh6
— Lisa Leslie (@LisaLeslie) May 27, 2020
Pistons coach Dwane Casey releases a powerful message. pic.twitter.com/xx7xg3QPlo
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) May 30, 2020
Clippers coach @DocRivers: pic.twitter.com/CW1cY6tvXe
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 31, 2020
New ESPN story: Over the weekend, Brad Stevens sat down and wrote a letter to his team. "It took me awhile to put down exactly what I wanted to say. ... What I wanted them to know is that I'm with them. I thought that was really important." https://t.co/yxJUa5DqBn
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 2, 2020
Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri penned a piece that was published in the Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail, in response to the protests. Ujiri acknowledged the 2019 incident when a police officer stopped him from joining the Raptors on the court following their NBA championship victory.
"If it was another team president heading for the court -- a white team president -- would he have been stopped by that officer? I've wondered that," Ujiri wrote. "I recognize what happened in Oakland last June is very different from what happened in Minneapolis last Monday. My own experience only cost me a moment; Mr. Floyd's experience cost him his life."
In the NFL, San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York announced that he is donating $1 million to "local and national organizations who are creating change" amid the protests.
— Jed York (@JedYork) May 31, 2020
Floyd was a friend of former NBA player Stephen Jackson.
(Some language NSFW)
“Why NFL Players Kneel: Reason 1 Million” pic.twitter.com/Ksk1Dxnwzo
— Donté Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) May 26, 2020
Dear white brothers and sisters, we desperately need y’all’s help. #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/sMNuB6kHVc
— Emmanuel Acho (@thEMANacho) May 27, 2020
This was the perfect example. The guy was just standing there. What is their standard? What happened to holding your peers accountable to the pledge they took to “protect and serve”? https://t.co/pnIrN6mfn0
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) May 26, 2020
Why does it matter? You think that was the only way this “trained” officer could handle the man? It doesn’t matter if he stole a pack of gum or shot someone. The actions from those officers were trash 😑 https://t.co/IlLByfdymQ
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) May 26, 2020
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) May 28, 2020
JUSTICE WILL NOT BE SERVED UNTIL THOSE UNAFFECTED ARE AS OUTRAGED AS THOSE WHO ARE‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) May 27, 2020
George Floyd was clearly murdered by a Minneapolis police officer. How many times do we have to see black men killed on national television? This has been going on for entirely too long. We need to start seeing black people as human beings and not animals on the street.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 27, 2020
Last night, my son was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet while peacefully protesting for justice for George Floyd. His story is not unique. Countless others have also experienced this use of excessive police force while trying to have their voices heard.
— Dale Murphy (@DaleMurphy3) June 1, 2020
For Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and far too many other women, men, children. pic.twitter.com/OBA80TX1BW
— WNBPA (@TheWNBPA) May 29, 2020
Statement from Head Coach Brian Flores. pic.twitter.com/dJOdHHSvNT
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) May 29, 2020
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” Martin Luther King Jr. pic.twitter.com/xu0lPBVM1t
— Chris Holtmann (@ChrisHoltmann) May 29, 2020
Silence at a time like this is unacceptable, and complicit, especially from those who are privileged. Racism cannot be ignored. We can be better. We MUST be better.
— Pat Fitzgerald (@coachfitz51) May 29, 2020
We ALL have a responsibility if we’re going to fight systems of oppression.
Listen, love, respect, act. 💜
#bethechangeyouwanttoseeandfeel pic.twitter.com/mnarfyLL5T
— Gary Patterson (@TCUCoachP) June 1, 2020
— Coach Tom Herman (@CoachTomHerman) May 30, 2020
Thank you for everything ❤️ https://t.co/uQFzyzbC40
— Michael Locksley (@CoachLocks) October 18, 2019
I learned a lot from listening to our Leadership Council today. pic.twitter.com/soLEtIPQXF
— Mario Cristobal (@coach_cristobal) May 29, 2020
#JusticeForGeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/1HjiwLMB8c
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 29, 2020
#blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/WEZEmtHH8k
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) May 29, 2020
I live in Delray Beach, FL and so does Coco Gauff. Her parents own a business here and she spoke at a protest downtown tonight.
— Chris Hassel (@Hassel_Chris) June 3, 2020
Hard to believe she’s still 2 years away from being able to vote.
(via @emsulliv) pic.twitter.com/jgAARYj9rq
Simply put , America needs the majority to not just support the movement to improve race relations and how Black people are treated in this country but to speak up about it and implement measures to change itl
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) May 30, 2020
Jaylen Brown said on his live Instagram video that he drove 15 hours from Boston to take part in the peaceful march he’s in right now in Atlanta. Here is what he said on that livestream about why he chose to do so: pic.twitter.com/JYVIeVCU1u
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 30, 2020
Statement From The Toronto Raptors: pic.twitter.com/almbXwi005
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 31, 2020
Following the killing of George Floyd, NCAA President Mark Emmert addressed inequality and injustice in America. pic.twitter.com/rZDBsfbvWG
— NCAA (@NCAA) June 2, 2020
Statement from Head Coach Mike Zimmer pic.twitter.com/unBRZnd3Z1
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) June 2, 2020
We are in this together. pic.twitter.com/miGF3oivh6
— Bernard Muir (@Stanford_AD) June 2, 2020
From the bottom of my heart... pic.twitter.com/dd9FhrOjB5
— Kendall Coyne Schofield (@KendallCoyne) June 2, 2020
#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/tzbSIf9k2B
— Claude Giroux (@28CGiroux) June 4, 2020
A statement from Zdeno Chara. pic.twitter.com/acqHFfP1My
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 6, 2020
The UFC's Jon Jones spoke to TMZ about Floyd's death saying, "Anyone who has practiced the very basics of jujitsu recognizes a [blood choke] when they see this. That was as clear as day murder, torture."
"What that man went through was worse than drowning," Jones added. "I wouldn't wish the way George Floyd was murdered on my worst enemy. That officer applied just enough pressure to keep him alive for almost six minutes in that chokehold. In all my years of fighting I can honestly say I've never experienced anything close to that level of torture."