Athletes around the world are speaking up over the the death of George Floyd. Here are some of the most powerful examples.
Barnaby Lane
- Athletes around the world are speaking up over the the death of George Floyd.
- Tennis stars Serena Williams and Coco Gauff, Borussia Dortmund duo Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi, and UFC star Israel Adesanya are among those to have made their voices heard.
- Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died begging for his life in Minneapolis on May 25 after police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly eight minutes during an arrest.
- The incident has sparked protests all across the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Athletes around the world are speaking up over the the death of George Floyd.
Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died begging for his life in Minneapolis on May 25 after police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly eight minutes during an arrest for the use of a counterfeit $20 bill at a nearby grocery store.
Chauvin has since been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Floyd's death has sparked mass protests across the United States against the treatment of black people by police, whilst demonstrations have also taken place in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
A number of stars in both the NFL and NBA, including Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan have shared powerful statements on social media, while others such as Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, have taken more direct action.
Brown, who is a vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, marched in Atlanta with a sign that read "I can't breathe" — Floyd's final words.
Outside of the NBA and the NFL, players and teams from other sports across the globe have also made their voices heard.
Here are a handful of those who have spoken out:
Read the original article on InsiderTennis stars Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Coco Gauff have all made powerful statements.
Williams tweeted a video from Nike along with the message: "Don't pretend there's not a problem in America."
—Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) May 31, 2020The 38-year-old also took part in a video which featured a number of black tennis players raising their hands alongside the hashtags "RacquetsDownHandsUp" and "HandsUpDontShoot."
—Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 1, 2020Frances Tiafoe, a 22-year-old American, started the initiative to spread awareness against racial discrimination.
Gauff and Osaka also featured in the video, as did Heather Watson, Sloane Stephens, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Gael Monfils.
Gauff, 16, also shared a video of her own on TikTok, displaying photos of well-known victims of police brutality, including Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Eric Gardener, Freddie Gray, and more, before raising her hands and asking: "Am I next?"
—Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) May 29, 2020English Premier League side Liverpool FC took a knee during training.
A number of the club's players, including James Milner, Andy Robertson, and Virgil van Dijk tweeted pictures of the squad kneeling around the centre circle at Anfield on Monday.
All of the players captioned the image: "Unity is strength #BlackLivesMatter."
A statement on the club's website says the moment was initiated by the players, who wanted to "show solidarity" and "support for the Black Lives Matter movement."
Borussia Dortmund players displayed 'Justice for George Floyd' during the club's game at the weekend.
Both Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi unveiled shirts which read "Justice for George Floyd" after scoring goals in Dortmund's 6-1 win over Paderborn on Sunday.
Sancho, who scored a hat trick on the day, also posted an image of him in the shirt to Instagram after, in which he said: "We shouldn't fear speaking out for what's right, we have to come together as one & fight for justice. We are stronger together! #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd"
Macrus Thuram, who plays for Borussia Monchengladbach, also made a similar gesture during his side's victory over FC Union Berlin, kneeling down on one knee after scoring his first of two goals in 4-1 win.
The Bundesliga club later tweeted a picture of the moment, captioned: "No explanation needed."
—Gladbach (@borussia_en) May 31, 2020Another Bundesliga star, USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie, wore an armband with the words "Justice for George" on it during a game.
McKennie made the gesture during the Bundesliga match between his side Schalke and Werder Bremen.
He said in a Forbes interview that he was asked by the game's referee to remove the armband, but refused to do so.
"I was like: 'I'm not taking it off.' There's a rule in the league that you can't make political statements. But I mean, if you really, really look at this as a political statement, then I don't know what to tell you," he told Forbes.
Tiger Woods shared his anger at Floyd's death, but urged protestors to be peaceful.
Protests across the United States have been largely peaceful, however some have have resulted in vandalism, break-ins, looting, burnt buildings, and violent clashes with police.
"My heart goes out to George Floyd, his loved ones and all of us who are hurting right now," Woods said in a statement.
"I remember the Los Angeles riots and learned that education is the best path forward," Woods added.
The 1992 LA riots, which happened after four white LA Police Department officers were acquitted of the beating of Rodney King, resulted in over $1 billion worth of damage across the city, according to CNN.
"We can make our points without burning the very neighborhoods that we live in. I hope that through construction, honest conversations we can build a safer, united society."
Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather has offered to pay for Floyd's funeral.
On Monday, TMZ Sports shared a picture of a cheque from Mayweather for George Floyd's funeral service for the sum of $88,500.
Speaking with Hollywood Unlocked CEO Jason Lee, Mayweather confirmed the offer to be genuine, saying he will pay for three funeral services for Floyd, one in his hometown of Houston, and two others in Minnesota and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mayweather also said he will pay for a fourth funeral at an as yet unnamed location, however it is unclear whether Floyd's family have accepted the 43-year-old's offers.
UFC star Israel Adesanya gave a teary speech at a rally in New Zealand
Speaking at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Auckland, New Zealand, on Monday, Adesanya said: "I have to speak up. I've been angry. I'm pissed off. How many of you walk into a store and have to put your hands behind your back just so they don't think you're stealing?
"How many of you walk down the street and have to smile and try and make the person who you can see is already scared of you, make them feel comfortable?"
"I just moved and I'm on the top floor and I have to go in the elevator," he said. "Three times already I've had to have racist, scared white people jump when they see me, and I smile at them.
—Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) June 1, 2020"So now I've got to stay to the side and let them walk through just so they don't get scared when they see me. Why? Because I'm black. Just because I'm black. What did I do? I didn't have a choice. If I had a choice, I'd still be black."
He added: "I'm sick and tired of seeing those faces get killed because guess what, I see myself in them. And it's heartbreaking."
Read more:
Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho reveals 'Justice for George Floyd' shirt during goal celebration
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