Michael Jordan Breaks His Silence About George Floyd’s Death

Michael Jordan Breaks His Silence About George Floyd’s Death, Releases Statement

NBA Hall of Famer, Michael Jordan, 57, has broken his silence about the killing of unarmed Minnesota man, George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police officers. Jordan, who has been criticized throughout his career for his lack of comments during important social issues, released a statement over the weekend (May 31st).

In Jordan’s statement, the Charlotte Hornets owner expressed his grief and outrage over the death of George Floyd and says he is standing with those who are calling out the systematic racism issues. He begins,

“I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry. I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough.”

He continues,

“I don’t have the answers, but our collective voices show strength and the inability to be divided by others. We must listen to each other, show compassion and empathy and never turn our backs on senseless brutality. We need to continue peaceful expressions against injustice and demand accountability. Our unified voice needs to put pressure on our leaders to change our laws, or else we need to use our vote to create systemic change. Every one of us needs to be part of the solution, and we must work together to ensure justice for all.”

Notably, Jordan’s statement omits the word “police” as America’s police officers clash with protesters across the country following the death of Floyd in police custody.

During ESPN’s recent airing of The Last Dance documentary, Jordan addressed why he chose to stay silent during his NBA career,

“I wasn’t a politician when I was playing my sport. I was focused on my craft. Was that selfish? Probably. But that was my energy. That’s where my energy was.

“I do commend Muhammad Ali for standing up for what he believed in. But I never thought of myself as an activist. I thought of myself as a basketball player.”

Michael Jordan

Meanwhile several notable NBA stars have spoken out against the unfortunate death of Floyd and other unarmed black people by police violence.

Media showing this???? I bet you they’re not. ?????! You know why, cause this is unity, peaceful, beautiful and love! https://t.co/QkgH2SFmON

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 1, 2020

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What are your thoughts on Michael Jordan’s statement? Let us know in the comments!