LeBron James Wears ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Shirt During Warm-Ups
LeBron James Wears ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Shirt During Warm-Ups
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Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Dec. 8, 2014, in New York.Kathy Willens—AP
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers sported the shirts during warm-ups, as did Jarrett Jack and Kevin Garnett of the Brooklyn Nets, CBS Sports reports. Demonstrators gathered to chant the phrase outside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn — where royal couple Prince William and Kate were attending the same game — marking the city’s sixth night of protest after a grand jury announced the officer involved in Garner’s death would not be indicted.
“I can’t breathe” were Garner’s final words in July after an NYPD officer placed him in a chokehold during an altercation on Staten Island. The phrase has since become a rallying cry for protesters upset about police brutality, especially involving white officers and unarmed black men, and particularly after the Ferguson, Mo., protests following the August police shooting of Michael Brown. A grand jury recently decided not to indict officer Darren Wilson in the teen’s shooting, igniting a night of violence in the St. Louis suburb.
“This is more of a motion to the family more than anything,” James said, the New York Daily News reports. “As a society, we have to do better. We have to be better for one another, no matter what race you are. But it’s more of a shoutout to the family more than anything. They’re the ones that should be getting all the energy and effort.”
After Chicago Bulls player Derrick Rose wore a similar shirt earlier this week, James said he “loved it” and was looking for one of his own.
See Athletes Who Have Taken a Stand on Political Issues
African-American track team members Tommie Smith (C) and John Carlos (R) raised gloved Black Power fists as during the medal ceremony of the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Both Smith and Carlos were suspended from the U.S. team, and both received death threats. "We knew that what we were going to do was far greater than any athletic feat," Carlos reportedly said at the time. Both are now in the Hall of Fame. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesIn this image posted to Miami Heat basketball player LeBron James' Twitter account in 2012, Miami Heat players wear team hoodies to protest the killing of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watch member George Zimmerman. (LeBron James via Twitter-- AP Photo)APSweden's Moa Hjelmer sports rainbow nails at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow, Russia, to protest Russia's laws prohibiting gay "propaganda." (Martin Meissner-- AP)Martin Meissner—APEgyptian soccer player Ahmed Abdul Zaher shows a four-finger sign, widely known as a gesture of support for ousted Islamsist President Mohammed Morsi, after scoring a goal on November 10, 2013. He was suspended from the team and from the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco after flashing the sign of support, and his team looked into trading him. (Desouki--AFP/Getty Images)Khaled Desouki—AFP/Getty ImagesIn 2010, the Phoenix Suns wore jerseys emblazoned with "Los Suns" on Cinco de Mayo, in response to an anti-immigration law recently passed in Arizona. (Christian Petersen--Getty Images)Christian Petersen—Getty ImagesLos Angeles Clippers players wore their warmup jerseys inside out to protest racist remarks by team owner Donald Sterling on April 27, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. (Marcio Jose Sanchez--AP Photo)Marcio Jose Sanchez—APSt. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin raised his arms in the "hands up, don't shoot" gesture to show support for Michael Brown, before a game against the Oakland Raiders at the Edward Jones Dome. (Jeff Curry--USA TODAY Sports)Jeff Curry—USA Today Sports/ReutersCleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Dec. 8, 2014, in New York. Kathy Willens—AP
