Austin Rivers wants to use Rockets jersey to honor Trayvon Martin

With his customized Rockets jersey, Rivers said he “would love to honor [Martin] and his family, and help keep his name alive and strong.”

Last week, the National Basketball Players Association and NBA reached an agreement on several social justice messages that could be placed on the nameplate of jerseys once the league restarts later this month.

Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers would like to expand that list.

On his Instagram, Rivers said he wants to use his jersey to honor Trayvon Martin. Martin was a 17-year-old Black child who was fatally shot in 2012 by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, upon walking to the home of his father’s fiancée from a nearby convenience store.

In an extended “story” message, the 27-year-old Rivers wrote:

I appreciate the NBA giving us an opportunity to change our last names on our jerseys. Small things like this can matter and go a long way. But options are really limited! I’m from Orlando, Florida, 25 minutes away from where Trayvon Martin was innocently shot and murdered. To this day, that anger and pain from that senseless hate crime still resonates in our country… but especially in my home city of Orlando.

With the jersey, Rivers said he “would love to honor [Martin] and his family, and help keep his name alive and strong.” He continued:

I want Trayvon on my back as I head to go lace ’em up in Orlando! It would mean a little something to all the people down there, especially his family and friends. He’s gone but never forgotten. All little things matter in this fight for BLM [Black Lives Matter].

As of Monday night, the NBA had yet to respond to Rivers’ request. The Rockets are scheduled to depart Houston this Thursday, July 9, for the Disney “bubble” complex, located near Orlando.

The Rockets will play three scrimmages starting July 24, and their 2019-20 regular season will resume on July 31 versus Dallas.

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