On Wednesday, Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield on teared up while talking about the scheduled execution of Julius Jones in Oklahoma on Thursday.
Jones was convicted of first degree murder in 2002 is on death row for the 1999 murder of Paul Howell, who was shot in the driveway of his parents’ home.
Hours later, Russell Westbrook would make his presence known when he showed up before the Lakers-Bucks game rocking wearing a Cowboys’ Julius Jones jersey in support of the death row inmate. However, ESPN’s Hannah Storm incorrectly stated he was wearing Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders jersey.
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Last year, Russell Westbrook wrote a letter to Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt asking for Jones to be exonerated.
“I love Oklahoma and the time I spent there. The Oklahomans I met are empathetic, kind, and just, which is why it was easy to form such a special connection with the state and its people,” wrote Westbrook, a storied leader of the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2008-2019. “Unfortunately, I am contacting you today because I believe the state’s criminal justice system is on the verge of carrying out a grave injustice, one that is inconsistent with the values of the Oklahoma I know and love.
As I have learned more about the case of death row prisoner Julius Jones, it has become readily apparent to me and many others that his conviction was tainted by a deeply flawed process”
