LeBron James criticized the Las Vegas Raiders for posting an image that read “I Can Breathe” after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty in the murder of George Floyd on Tuesday.
Raiders owner Mark Davis tried to fan the flames being sent to his social media team by stating he was the one that sent out the tweet and wouldn’t be deleting it.
Davis told ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez the comment “meant no disrespect,” and he felt it’s the right message to send, so the Twitter post will remain up.
“I felt that was a powerful statement,” Davis said. “Today was a day where I can breathe, and we can all breathe again because justice was served. But we have a lot of work to do still on social justice and police brutality.”
Floyd died on May 25th in 2020 after being apprehended on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill. His arrest was filmed by a bystander and caught that horrific moment when Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, while two other officers pinned him down.
Floyd could be heard saying “I can’t breathe” several times. Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on Tuesday.
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“Today’s verdict is one step toward accountability and justice,” the New England Patriots posted.
“We recognise that there is still a lot of work to be done and we are committed to being a part of that progress.”
The Los Angeles Rams wrote: “The Los Angeles Rams send our deepest condolences to George Floyd’s family. Today’s verdict is accountability, not justice. The fight continues for social justice.”
The Seahawks and New York Jets had similar things to say.
“We stand together with the Black community and although today’s verdict was one step forward, there’s still work to be done and many more steps to take,” the Seahawks tweeted.
The Jets posted: “Today’s verdict will not bring back a life, but we hope that it helps Mr. Floyd’s family find a measure of peace. This decision is a step towards addressing the challenges that continue to exist.
“It is important for everyone to remain focused on injustices in our society that do not have the attention this case garnered. We are committed to continuing our work and encourage all to remain steadfast towards improving our communities for all people.”
