NBA legend Michael Jordan released a statement with a very clear message regarding the ongoing protests following George Floyd’s death.
“We’ve had enough”.
The killing of Floyd, an unarmed Black American man, by a Minneapolis police officer has set in motion days and nights of unrest across the United States. At least 30 cities have held protests calling for changes.
Jordan is a member of the NBA Hall of Fame and current owner of the Charlotte Hornets. He has defended the right to protest in the past.
“One of the fundamental rights this country is founded on was freedom of speech, and we have a long tradition of nonviolent, peaceful protest,” Jordan said in 2017, per Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. “Those who exercise the right to peacefully express themselves should not be demonized or ostracized.
“At a time of increasing divisiveness and hate in this country, we should be looking for ways to work together and support each other and not create more division.”
“I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country,” he wrote. “We have had enough.”
Jordan is the latest prominent member of the NBA community to speak on the protests. LeBron James has used social media to spread his message, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar created an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times.
