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As NBA players sport their personal fashion entering the ESPN athletic complex in Orlando, Fla., the outfits and style reflect evergreen messages most of our country should agree with by now: “Vote,” “Black Lives Matter,” “8:46,” and the latest, “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor.”
Tuesday night’s social justice message came in the form of a reimagined Make America Great Again hat that crossed through “Great America” and was replaced with “Make America Arrest the Cops who Killed Breonna Taylor.” LeBron James also opted not to come out for the National Anthem.
Many of the Lakers players wore the red hat, and others wore social justice shirts about police terrorism. James wore a shirt saying “By any means,” which is a phrase often used by Malcolm X in the ’60s when fighting racial hatred.
After midnight back on March 13, an undercover team of the Louisville Metro Police Department entered Breonna Taylor’s home using a battering ram on a no-knock warrant. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who lived with her, told police the day of the incident he didn’t know who was breaking into their home, so he grabbed his handgun and fired one shot. The police outside of the apartment returned at least 20 rounds into Taylor and Walker’s residence. Taylor was shot at least eight times as she lay in bed. Walker was a licensed gun owner.
In the incident report, LMPD described Taylor’s injuries during the raid as “none.” The LMPD also made no effort to try to treat her.
