Brett Brown, 76ers assistants and NBCA members release statement on death of George Floyd
The NBCA noted “the events of the past few weeks – police brutality, racial profiling and the weaponization of racism are shameful, inhumane and intolerable.”
The National Basketball Coaches Association on Monday denounced the death of George Floyd and revealed plans to establish a committee on racial injustice and reform.
Brett Brown, the 76ers head coach, is a member of the NBCA and joined other head coaches and assistants, including the Sixers’ Joseph Blair, John Bryant, Jim O’Brien, Ime Udoka, and Kevin Young, to release the NBCA’s public statement.
“Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the family of George Floyd,” the statement read. "As NBA coaches – both head and assistant coaches -- we lead groups of men, most of whom are African American, and we see, hear and share their feelings of disgust, frustration, helplessness and anger.
"The events of the past few weeks – police brutality, racial profiling and the weaponization of racism are shameful, inhumane and intolerable.
"As a diverse group of leaders, we have a responsibility to stand up and speak out for those who don’t have a voice – and to stand up and speak out for those who don’t feel it is safe to do so.
"Witnessing the murder of George Floyd in cold blood and in broad daylight has traumatized our nation, but the reality is that African Americans are targeted and victimized on a daily basis. As NBA coaches, we cannot treat this as an isolated incident of outrage.
“We are committed to working in our NBA cities with local leaders, officials and law enforcement agencies to create positive change in our communities. We have the power and platform to affect change, and we will use it.”
Fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter four days after he pinned his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd, who was black, was unarmed and handcuffed and told Chauvin he couldn’t breathe.
This comes after a white father and son were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault on May 7 for the shooting of a black man on a residential Georgia street more than two months earlier. The arrests of Gregory McMichael, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34, came after a national outcry. Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was killed in Brunswick, Ga., while jogging on Feb. 23. William Bryan Jr., a motorist who filmed the shooting, was charged with felony murder on May 21. Gregory told police Bryan had tried to help them stop Arbery.