BROOKLYN, N.Y. - LeBron James and Kyrie Irving wore 'I CAN'T BREATHE' t-shirts, in protest of a New Yorker who was killed in July by a police officer who put him in a choke hold, prior to the Cavaliers' game against the Brooklyn Nets.
The black t-shirt, first worn Saturday by the Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose, remembers Eric Garner, who repeatedly said 'I can't breathe' as he was suffocated to death by a Staten Island policeman. A grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer last week set off protests around New York City - where the Cavaliers have spent much of the past several days.
'It's not a Cavs thing, it's a worldly thing,' James said. 'It's just to understand what we're going through as a society. Ive been quoted over and over as far as whats going on, it's more of a notion to the family. More than anything. As a society we have to do better. We have to be better for one another, don't matter what race you are.'
James has been outspoken over the past month about the deaths of unarmed African-Americans at the hands of police officers. In July, a Ferguson, Mo. police officer shot and killed Mike Brown. Last month, a grand jury declined to indict the police officer, setting off a wave of protests.
Also last month, a Cleveland police officer shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who playing with a pellet gun in a public area. James said at Madison Square Garden Thursday that 'this is our country, the land of the free, and we keep having these incidents happen, innocent victims or whatever the case may be. Our families are losing loved ones.'
Irving hadn't spoken about the incidents until Monday night, when reporters spotted him walking through the Cavaliers locker room in the t-shirt. The shirts came from former Cavalier Jarrett Jack.
A Cleveland team official said Jack brought three t-shirts into the locker room, but it was not immediately clear who has the third one. Multiple Nets wore them, including Jack.
'Because it s bigger than all of us, we have to take a stand together,' Irving said, referring to players across the league and not necessarily the Cavaliers. 'It's truly important that we do.'
Cleveland's Shawn Marion said he didn't get one of the t-shirts, but wanted one. 'It's a good cause,' he said.
In 2012, James led a protest as a member of the Miami Heat against the death of Trayvon Martin, shot to death during an altercation with a man who was on neighborhood watch.
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Entities 0 Name: James Count: 5 1 Name: Cavaliers Count: 4 2 Name: Cleveland Count: 3 3 Name: Irving Count: 2 4 Name: Jack Count: 2 5 Name: Chicago Bulls Count: 1 6 Name: BROOKLYN Count: 1 7 Name: Tamir Rice Count: 1 8 Name: Trayvon Martin Count: 1 9 Name: Shawn Marion Count: 1 10 Name: Ferguson Count: 1 11 Name: Eric Garner Count: 1 12 Name: Miami Count: 1 13 Name: N.Y. Count: 1 14 Name: Kyrie Irving Count: 1 15 Name: Cavalier Jarrett Jack Count: 1 16 Name: Staten Island Count: 1 17 Name: Derrick Rose Count: 1 18 Name: Mike Brown Count: 1 19 Name: Brooklyn Nets Count: 1 20 Name: Mo. Count: 1 21 Name: New York City Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1ziW1k1 Title: LeBron James plans to wear 'I Can't Breathe' t-shirt before game in Brooklyn Description: In protest of a New York grand jury's decision not to indict NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo for the choking death of Eric Garner, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James plans to wear an "I Can't Breathe" t-shirt before Monday's game against the Nets in Brooklyn, according to the New York Daily News.
