Several leading athletes and coaches responded on Friday after the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse in the fatal shootings of two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August 2020.
The controversial shooting came at a protest against police violence days after the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot seven times during a traffic stop while Kenosha officers were carrying out a warrant for his arrest.
The Blake shooting and subsequent Rittenhouse incident came weeks after the murder of George Floyd, which sparked a wave of nationwide protest actions, many of which had the support and participation of prominent figures from sports, including several from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Prior to their game on Friday night, Bucks star Khris Middleton said the team had discussed the verdict. He said he was disappointed but "not surprised" by the outcome.
Coach Mike Budenholzer said his team would have to play a role in striving for a "better" country.
Earlier on Friday, Kaepernick didn't mince words when giving his assessment of the trial, calling Rittenhouse a "white supremacist."
NASCAR star Bubba Wallace said Rittenhouse would have been convicted or possibly shot dead on the scene if he were Black.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III compared Rittenhouse's situation with that of Julius Jones, an incarcerated man in Oklahoma whose death sentence was commuted on the day he was to be executed amid longstanding questions about his case and trial.
Other players who weighed in include Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Eddie Johnson, NBA veteran Isaiah Thomas, and former Seattle Mariners infielder and now free agent Shed Long.
Elsewhere in the coaching ranks, the Warriors' Steve Kerr, Steve Nash of the Nets, and former coach turned analyst Stan Van Gundy sounded off.
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