Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, Brad Stevens share their thoughts on Chauvin verdict

Tatum and Stevens opened up about the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial the day after it was handed down.

The Boston Celtics as a franchise have long been champions of the fight for civil rights, and after the killing of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, the team also got involved specifically in the fight for accountability regarding police violence.

Several Celtics took the fight to the streets, such as Jaylen Brown, Enes Kanter (now a Portland Trail Blazer) and Marcus Smart, and the team made a number of commitments along with the league to fight for increased racial equity as some of the after-effects of that summer’s protests. Earlier this week on April 20, the trial of Floyd’s arresting officer Derek Chauvin returned guilty verdicts, prompting reporters to ask the team about the trial and its returns.

Asked about the trial by the press, head coach Brad Stevens replied, “I think it’s something that we’ve talked about for a long time. Obviously, I’m very happy with the verdict.”