It was not a political statement, LeBron James stated. Rather, it was in memory to a grieving family. On Monday during practice, before a game with the Brooklyn Nets, James sported a t-shirt emblazoned with “I can’t breathe,” a statement uttered by Eric Garner prior to his death on July 17th, when he was stopped by the NYPD and placed into a banned chokehold. In addition to James, Nets players Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett and more also sported a similar message on their t-shirts.
For James, he said wearing the shirt was not to stir a political issue, but to bring memory to the family. “It’s a message to the family,” James shared, advising he felt “sorry” for Garner’s wife. “I think everybody else gets caught up in everything else besides who’s really feeling it, and that’s the family. That’s what it’s about.”
James stated he saw Chicago player Derrick Rose wearing the shirt in a previous game, and was interested in acquiring one. Brooklyn Nets guard Jarrett Jack passed out the shirts to both teams, and James acquired his from the player. James makes an impact, even by wearing a t-shirt, because of his star status. His stance on social issues is based on a fundamental level to the player, “If it feels important to me, then I respond. If it doesn’t, I don’t.” James’ non-profit organization has done tremendous things, based out of Northeast Ohio for local communities.
The star forward makes no apologies for the stance, and he is admirable for the way he approaches it. It is not with bells and whistles, but a quiet reflection and moment for the family.
There has been a rising current of conflict between police officers and the public. In the midst of it all, James wanted to show support for a family who lost a loved one. Nothing more, nothing less. His comments on Monday resonates across the country on how the situation of conflict should be handled.
“Obviously our society needs to do better. Like I said before, violence isn’t the answer and retaliation isn’t the solution. As a society, we know we have to get better. It’s not going to be done in one day. We all have to do better.”