Once again, a young, Black man was killed by a police officer and many are once again asking questions why, with sports figures being the among the most vocal leaders on the issue.
Twenty-year-old Daunte Wright was shot and killed by a police officer in Minnesota, prompting athletes to sit out and games to be postponed on Monday to mourn his death, including the Brooklyn Nets’ matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The teams were scheduled to make up the game on Tuesday afternoon, but the tragedy surrounding Wright was still in the minds of everyone, including Nets head coach Steve Nash, who delivered some powerful comments on the larger issue of Black Americans being killed by police officers.
“More senseless tragedy. Heartbreaking for everyone I think, I hope, to be in a civilization that behaves this way,” he said while struggling to find the right words. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to be African-American. To be an African-American parent. It’s unacceptable. It’s devastating to put yourself in their shoes and it’s devastating to be a part of it. We’re all a part of the community, civilization, culture.
“It’s the same thing over and over again. People are losing their lives for no reason and it’s been happening for hundreds of years and we’re still here in 2021. So, it’s a tough time. Tough time for basketball to be at the forefront but at the same time we have to move forward and take care of our responsibilities amidst such a devastating situation.”
Per ESPN reporter Malika Andrews, Nash added: "It's worrisome life keeps moving forward and nothing changes."
Nash’s comments follow the lead of other NBA head coaches, such as Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr and Doc Rivers, who have been among the most vocal when it comes to social justice issues.
The Nets and Timberwolves players also made a statement by taking the court during warmups with black T-shirts that read, "With liberty and justice FOR ALL," with the last two words underlined and capitalized for emphasis.
The NBA has been a leading voice in calling for attention and change to injustice, with the league nearly shutting down last summer after a Jacob Blake, a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was shot and paralyzed by a cop.
While games in Minnesota across sports appear to resume on Tuesday, racial injustice will continue to be a discussion across the nation with the sports world being very much a part of it.
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