While multiple NBA players have taken part in the peaceful protests in response to the death of George Floyd, some have found other ways to make an impact — one of which is Kevin Durant.
The businesses that the Brooklyn Nets forward owns — Thirty Five Ventures, The Boardroom and the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation — pledged to donate to the NAACP and Center for Policing Equity “in honor of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and all those who’ve lost their lives or suffered injustice at the hands of the police.”
But it doesn’t end there for Durant. He’s also reflected on the entire situation, doing so recently with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. During their conversation, Durant expressed, “There are just so many questions going through my mind when you see a black man getting slaughtered on TV and on camera like that”:
[The video of George Floyd’s death] made me think about all the previous videos we’ve seen involving police brutality. At that point, you get tired of seeing it or wondering if things are going to change or whether we will see this again in the future. Will people’s hearts change? There are just so many questions going through my mind when you see a black man getting slaughtered on TV and on camera like that.
It’s damaging to see another life being taken away from us. Someone with a family. Someone who was a father. A son. A friend. It was just horrible to see, especially coming from people who are supposed to be protecting us. We’re really supposed to feel like we are safe all around. It’s a weird time we are in now.
Durant also revealed he’s never had to experience police brutality himself, stating:
But I tell you that you don’t have to experience it to understand. Obviously, coming up in your communities you really hear about stuff that doesn’t really hit your front door. But you know how people should be treated, and you know what a cop’s job is supposed to be. Or what we thought it was supposed to be. And to also see civilians gunned down by cops, it doesn’t make any sense.
I never really experienced it. But you empathize with people who have been through it and what they’ve been through.
He also added:
A lot of people feel like when you make it to a certain level financially that you are above everything. Sometimes we may not be put in that situation as much as other people are. But we still understand. And to be honest, it might just be different.
People may wonder who is in your car. What type of person is living in this house (you own) in this neighborhood. So, it’s different with each level you go. But we can all understand as police they have a job. We expect them to do their job. We don’t want to fear the police. Or fear our lives when we see the police.
Durant also made clear, “The world has had enough” and that he wants to see the four officers responsible for Floyd’s death to be “tried just like normal citizens would.”
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