A day after an internal memo surfaced from Knicks owner James Dolan explaining why the organization would not make a public statement against systemic racism, Dolan decided to change his tone.
"Yesterday, I made a sincere attempt to provide my perspective on a very difficult issue, one that has no easy answers," Dolan wrote, per ESPN."I know how important this topic is to so many, and I do not want there to be any confusion about where I as an individual, or we as a company stand. So, let me be clear: we vehemently condemn and reject racism against anyone, period."
Initially, Dolan told staff that "we are not any more qualified than any one else to offer an opinion on social matters" in the wake of George Floyd's death – a 46-year-old man who was killed when a Minneapolis police officer placed his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes.
The lack of an initial response reportedly drew the ire of some Knicks players and employees.
Several athletes, teams and leagues have made public remarks this week, and the Knicks did participate in the #BlackoutTuesday social media trend.
Yet, former Giants safety Antrel Rolle told WFAN's "Moose & Maggie" on Tuesday that statements from teams are "irrelevant" and that we need to start seeing change.
There were a few teams who went beyond just issuing a statement condemning racism. The Tampa Bay Rays took the time to also condemn police brutality and donate $100,000 to causes fighting against systemic racism.
Following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer, we have engaged in conversations with community leaders and our Diversity and Inclusion Committee.The Rays and Rowdies are issuing the following statement: pic.twitter.com/FxCmKn8Jll
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 2, 2020
