Tag: George Floyd

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.”

Panthers legend Steve Smith blasts Brett Favre for Derek Chauvin remarks

89 took to Instagram on Wednesday night to express his thoughts on Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre’s recent comments regarding the killing of George Floyd.

Carolina Panthers franchise-great Steve Smith has never been the timid type. When he deemed an opponent or even a teammate (sup, Ken Lucas) to be out of line, he let them know about it.

Glad to see things haven’t changed!

89 took to Instagram on Wednesday night to express his thoughts on Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre’s recent comments regarding the killing of George Floyd. Smith blasted the former Packers quarterback, who seems to be on a crusade to have his mouth produce as much cretinous trash as his right arm did lousy interceptions.

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This is quite the sanctimonious move for Favre, now a self-proclaimed disenfranchised football fan that doesn’t like politics in his sports. Unless, that is, they’re his politics.

Well, at least it’s good to know Smith still respects what Favre did on the field. Perhaps that tiny pittance is enough to keep him from icing up after that verbal backhand.

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George Floyd’s brother Philonise issues statement of ‘gratitude’ to Raiders after ‘I can breathe’ tweet

Sounds like he didn’t object to it as so many others did.

The Las Vegas Raiders’ “I CAN BREATHE” tweet the NFL franchise sent out — owner Mark Davis took responsibility for it and said he wouldn’t delete it — after the Derek Chauvin verdict on Tuesday felt incredibly tone-deaf given the history of the phrase being used in pro-police protests.

But Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, doesn’t appear to have a problem with it, and he released a statement of support and his family’s “deepest gratitude” toward the organization on Wednesday.

You’ll recall that Davis said he was using the wording from Philonise, who had said, “Today, we are able to breathe again” after Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd. And that’s what Philonise cited in his statement:

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Jets issue statement following Derek Chauvin murder conviction

“Today’s verdict will not bring back a life, but we hope that it helps Mr. Floyd’s family find a measure of peace,” the Jets said in a statement.

The Jets issued a statement Tuesday night after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd earlier in the day.

“Today’s verdict will not bring back a life, but we hope that it helps Mr. Floyd’s family find a measure of peace,” the team said. “This decision is a step towards addressing the challenges that continue to exist. It is important for everyone to remain focused on injustices in our society that do not have the attention this case garnered. We are committed to continuing our work and encourage all to remain steadfast towards improving our communities for all people.”

Floyd was killed on May 25 after Chauvin, an on-duty officer, forced his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine and a half minutes during an arrest. The 45-year-old Chauvin’s trial culminated Tuesday when a jury found him guilty of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

“I would not call today’s verdict justice, however, because justice implies true restoration,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said. “But it is accountability, which is the first step toward justice.”

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Patriots release statement after Derek Chauvin is found guilty of George Floyd’s murder

The Patriots and Celtics released team statements on Tuesday following the conviction of Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd.

The New England Patriots and Boston Celtics released team statements on Tuesday following the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.

Patriots players and coaches have addressed social injustice issues in this country and pledged $1 million for these causes back in June 2020. Here’s what the Patriots’ statement said on Tuesday night.

“Today’s verdict is one step toward accountability and justice,” the Patriots wrote. “We recognize that there is still a lot of work to be done and we are committed to being part of that progress.”

The Celtics also have been extremely vocal and active on social issues — here’s the statement they released.

“We are grateful for the verdict in the George Floyd murder case, however, we know that today’s justice served is not to be taken for granted, and the Celtics remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating for racial equity and social justice,” the Celtics wrote.

The Patriots released a powerful video in June to discuss the actions they will take.

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Torrey Smith rips Raiders for tone-deaf George Floyd tweet

Former Panthers wide receiver Torrey Smith is one of many people who have criticized the Raiders for the stunningly tone-deaf message.

Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts for the murder of George Floyd in a Minnesota courtroom yesterday. The verdict brought out reactions from all over the sports world, including the NFL and a few teams. Some read the room and got it right. Others not so much.

While the Vikings released a poignant statement about the injustice and enduring pain that Floyd’s death brought to their community, the Raiders decided to go in a different direction by sharing this tweet:

Many observers are roasting their social media team’s bad call, but the poor decision apparently goes all the way to the top of the organization. Team owner Mark Davis has taken responsibility and claims that he’s “deepy disappointed” if he offended Floyd’s famiily.

Former Panthers wide receiver Torrey Smith is one of many people who have criticized the Raiders for the stunningly tone-deaf message.

Smith followed up with more.

The Raiders may not have been intentionally malicious, but to leave the tweet up after the public outcry says a lot about their motivations.

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Rockets issue statement supporting guilty verdict in George Floyd case

“While no verdict will ever bring back Houstonian George Floyd, justice and accountability were served today at a courthouse in Minnesota.”

After a Minnesota jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd last May, the Houston Rockets issued a statement of support later Tuesday evening.

“While no verdict will ever bring back Houstonian George Floyd, justice and accountability were served today at a courthouse in Minnesota,” the organization wrote in a statement posted to social media. “We continue to keep the Floyd family in our thoughts during this time.”

The team’s official statement continues:

Tilman Fertitta and the entire Houston Rockets organization will remain committed and vigilant in using our platform to fight systemic racism and to promote social justice and equality for all people.

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Last June, a peaceful march involving more than 60,000 people and members of Floyd’s family went through downtown Houston, with a goal of raising awareness for the issues involved. A few days later, Floyd’s memorial service and funeral were held in Houston.

In the aftermath of those events, Fertitta — who owns the Rockets — vowed to use his platform as a billionaire businessman to help find a solution to issues related to racism and police brutality.

Additional coverage of the verdict is available at usatoday.com.

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Boston Celtics alumni past and present react to Derek Chauvin verdict on Twitter

After the officer at the heart of the George Floyd killing was found guilty on all charges, several Boston alumni weighed in.

Boston Celtics alumni past and present alike weighed in on the recently-announced guilty verdicts returned in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the arresting officer who was put on trial for the killing of George Floyd.

That event sparked nationwide protests last summer many NBA players participated in and even organized, such as Boston’s Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Enes Kanter, and while those voices have thus far mostly held back in commenting on today’s guilty verdict, now-Portland Trail Blazer Kanter joined starting center Robert Williams III and many other former Celtics in speaking their mind about the results of the court case which shook a country to its core.

Let’s take a look at what they had to say.

Thunder, NBA release statements following Derek Chauvin verdict

The OKC Thunder and NBA released statements after the Derek Chauvin verdict in the George Floyd case.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and NBA released statements following the verdict made by the Minnesota jury on the decision to convict Derek Chauvin on all three counts for the killing of George Floyd.

Chauvin was found guilty of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Floyd, 46, died on May 25, 2020 when Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes after police responded to a report that Floyd had used a counterfeit $20 bill.

Video of his death set off a wave of social justice cries that echoed into the NBA landscape.

After the conviction on Tuesday, the Thunder tweeted the following statement:

“Today’s verdict offers a level of justice for the Floyd family, but that is only one step in the long journey toward ending system racism in our country. The Thunder is committed to working toward ending racial injustice, and we are all responsible for helping to take this moment in our country’s history and improve on it for today, for tomorrow and for generations to come.”

Related: NBA players react to Chauvin verdict

NBA commissioner Adam Silver and National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts released a statement that read:

“George Floyd’s murder was a flashpoint for how we look at race and justice in our country, and we are pleased that justice appears to have been served. But we also recognize that there is much work to be done and the NBA and NBPA, 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.”

The Las Vegas Raiders responded to the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict with an incredibly tone-deaf tweet

Oh no.

On Tuesday afternoon, a Minneapolis jury convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin on all three counts — second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter — for the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

The video of the murder — which showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds — sparked global protests of police brutality and racial injustice against the Black community last year. And Tuesday’s verdict represented an important step towards a semblance of justice for the Floyd family, but it didn’t change the fact that George Floyd should still be alive today.

Predictably, many social media accounts with communications teams wanted to make a public statement about the verdict. And in the sports world, specifically, it would be tough to find a worse response than the Las Vegas Raiders’ effort.

This was just so bad.

The Raiders tweeted, “I can breathe 4-20-21,” in a Twitter graphic. This morbid play off of Floyd’s final words as he was being murdered did not sit well with anyone — even as the Raiders kept the tweet live and pinned for 30-plus minutes.

Again, the verdict doesn’t bring Floyd back to life. He still can’t breathe. Who are the Raiders talking about then? The Raiders’ tweet essentially celebrated a tragedy with the kind of tone-deafness you can expect from the NFL.

Fans were not pleased.

Never tweet, Raiders.

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