The Nets watched the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd together in the locker room before Tuesday’s game against the Pelicans, and knew they were witnessing history.
“I’m thinking to myself how this is a flash bulb memory that people will talk about for a long time,” Landry Shamet said. “History books, kids in schools will learn about it, and it’ll be one of those things 20 years from now ‘where were you when this happened?’ I’m happy the justice system came through and saw it the way it should have been seen, and the people that needed to be held accountable were held accountable. So it’s a good day in that sense.”
Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges Tuesday afternoon, a verdict that brought relief into the Brooklyn locker room after the NBA spent part of last summer advocating for social justice and postponing playoff games following the shooting of Jacob Blake, which occurred shortly after Floyd was killed.
“It was way more nerve-wracking…you just never know how you’re going to feel until you’re actually in that moment,” Blake Griffin said. “Just a lot of relief. Hopefully this is the start of something really powerful.”
Kyrie Irving has been at the forefront of social justice initiatives for years, contributing to a documentary about Breonna Taylor, who was shot eight times by police last year, and spoke against the league’s return to play last June after Floyd was killed. He was among the Nets watching the verdict live before Tuesday’s win on the court.
“We just have a long way to go as a country,” Irving said. “Obviously we have some progress being made in terms of conversations being had and justice being served, but we still have a long way to go. It’s a great time to reflect and see how far we’ve come in the last year with the verdict and the case.”
For Irving, his fight for equality dates back to 2014, when he was among the players wearing “I Can’t Breathe” shirts during warmups in the Barclays Center, now his home court, when he was a member of the Cavaliers. The shirts were in response to Eric Garner being choked to death by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo. Tuesday’s verdict was an encouraging sign for him that things may finally be moving in the right direction, but he won’t let up in using his platform to inspire change.
“Unfortunately losing a life, a few lives in the last year due to police brutality and violence out in the streets, we just want to continue to galvanize each other and be there for one another as human beings and continue to support justice being served,” Irving said. “That’s most important.”
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