Early Tuesday afternoon, a Minnesota jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on the three charges brought against him. Since the historic announcement, NBA players have taken to social media to express their sense of relief regarding the verdict.
Minnesota center Karl Anthony-Towns, Lakers center Andre Drummond and Minnesota guard Malik Beasley were just a few of the stars who took to Twitter to express their relief following the verdict.
Former Clippers guard Jamal Crawford added an interesting piece on Twitter as well. Crawford pointed out that, while this was a step in the right direction, our country still has a long way to go.
League Reaction to Verdict
The NBA also took this opportunity to release a statement as a league. The league office and players’ association released this statement following the announcement of the verdict.
“George Floyd’s murder was a flashpoint for how we look at race and justice in our country, and we are pleased that justice appears to have been served. But we also recognize that there is much more work to be done. The NBA and NBPA, together with our newly-formed Social Justice Coalition, will redouble our efforts to advocate for meaningful change in areas of criminal justice and policing.”
NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
The NBA created the referenced Social Justice Coalition in November 2020. The coalition’s goal was to “lead the NBA family’s collective efforts to advance equality and social justice.” It aims to “leverage the game’s influence to raise awareness, educate and advocate for meaningful reform.”
The NBA continues to be proactive with this issue, something they demonstrated during the time in the bubble. Silvers’ unwavering support of his players has been a huge step in the right direction. Allowing them the freedom to demonstrate while in the bubble was the first step. The players will hope that Silver continues his support as they continue in the fight for equality.
