LeBron James has responded to former police officer Derek Chauvin being found guilty of murdering George Floyd with one word: “Accountability”.
The Los Angeles Lakers star, who has continually used his status to push the agenda surrounding social issues, reacted after the jury deliberated for 10 hours before arriving at a unanimous verdict.
The NBA in general has played a key role in protests against racial injustice and police brutality, with the league’s commissioner Adam Silver and National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts releasing a joint statement after Wednesday’s verdict.
“George Floyd’s murder was a flash point for how we look at race and justice in our country, and we are pleased that justice appears to have been served,” the statement read.
“But we also recognise that there is much work to be done and the National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association, together with our newly-formed Social Justice Coalition, will redouble our efforts to advocate for meaningful change in the areas of criminal justice and policing.”
James also reacted in disgust to the Las Vegas Raiders’ post following the verdict, which included the phrase “I can breathe” with the date.
James quoted the tweet and added: “This is real???? Nah man this ain’t it at all. The F^%K!!!!”
