George Floyd death: Michael Jordan says he is 'deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry' over injustice
Michael Jordan has spoken out against the death of George Floyd, who was killed on May 25. The 57-year-old basketball legend also sent his condolences to the Floyd family for their tragic loss.
The death of the 46-year-old African-American man, who died last week after a Minneapolis Police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, has triggered protests across the US. Police officer Derek Chauvin was fired after video footage showed him kneeling on Floyd’s neck. Chauvin was later charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on May 29.
In a statement shared on various social media accounts associated with Jordan, the legend said: “I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry. I see and feel everyone's pain, outrage, and frustration. I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough.”
He continued, “I don’t have the answers, but our collective voices show strength and the inability to be divided by others. We must listen to each other, show compassion and empathy, and never turn our backs on senseless brutality. We need to continue peaceful expressions against injustice and demand unaccountability. Our unified voice needs to put pressure on our leaders to change our laws, or else we need to use our vote to create systemic change.”
“My heart goes out to the family of George Floyd and to the countless others whose lives have been brutally and senselessly taken through acts of racism and injustice,” Jordan wrote while concluding his post.
Not only Jordan, but quite a few NBA teams have also issued statements condemning the death of unarmed Floyd. "We condemn racism, bigotry, violence, and prejudice in all its forms. Everyone has the right to live free from fear and to be treated with dignity and respect. We hear the pain of our Black community and we will not stay silent,” the Los Angles Lakers tweeted on Saturday, May 30.
While Doc Rivers, coach for the Los Angeles Clippers, said in a statement on Twitter: “Our society must start getting comfortable with the uncomfortable conversation and do the right thing. Silence and inactivity are not acceptable anymore,” as he recalled his own experiences of facing racism. Rivers mentioned in the statement that he has been "called more racial slurs than I can count, been pulled over many times because of the color of my skin, and even had my home burned down."
The Brooklyn Nets, Long Island Nets, New York Liberty, and Barclays Center also issued a joint statement, calling for a "peaceful response in our joint fight against racism." “This is not the time to be vengeful. this is a time to effect change,” the statement shared on Twitter read.
Besides, the Milwaukee Bucks said in a statement that they were "distraught and angered" by Floyd's death, "but we know this is not an isolated case." “As an organization, we remain deeply committed to address issues of social injustice and to make meaningful change for African-Americans and all marginalized members of our community,” the statement added.