NBA players have done well in the past years being ambassadors for the game. Taking a stand for what’s right.
And now in light of the Eric Garner case, Chicago’s Derrick Rose wore a black shirt with the quote “I Can’t Breathe” on it.
Joakim Noah spoke about the respect he had for DRose for making the statement.
I knew that Derrick was going to put that T-shirt on,” Bulls center Joakim Noah said. “I think he has every right to express his beliefs. He told me that he was going to wear it. I respect Derrick a lot. I think he’s definitely making a statement by wearing it. That’s my guy.”
Noah said he thinks it’s important that professional athletes use their platforms to make social statements.
“Yeah. If that’s what he wants to do, I respect it,” Noah said. “I think a lot of people feel that way. When you wear a T-shirt with a statement everybody’s going to know how you feel about it. I respect Derrick 150 percent and I’m riding with him … a lot of people feel that way. It’s really sad what happened. Police brutality is something that … it happens. Not every cop is a bad person. Not every black person is a bad person. You can’t judge people. But he definitely made a statement by wearing that T-shirt.”
Quote via ESPN Chicago.
I applaud Rose for making this statement. He didn’t talk to the media after the loss to Golden State, but he didn’t need to. The shirt said it all.
