mobile app bar

LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns and other NBA players celebrate Derek Chauvin’s conviction for the unjust murder of George Floyd: “Justice and accountability!”

Samir Mehdi
Published

LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns and other NBA players celebrate Derek Chauvin’s conviction for the unjust murder of George Floyd: “Justice and accountability!”

NBA players take to Twitter to show their admiration for the fact that Derek Chauvin has been convicted for George Floyd’s murder. 

The NBA prides itself in being one of the most ‘woke’ sporting leagues in the world. Not only does the NBA make sure that they get the word across about significant matters such as ‘Stop Asian Hate’ and ‘Black Lives Matter’, but the players that play within the league are also extremely vocal when it comes to these things. 

With civil unrest reaching an all-time high last year due to the unjust murder of George Floyd, players such as LeBron James and George Hill took to social media to denounce Derek Chauvin, the disgraced police officer who held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes and 29 seconds. 

Also Read: “MVP Stephen Curry!”: Sixers fans chant Warriors legend’s name aloud after he drops 49 points against Joel Embiid and co

The NBA centered their 2020 NBA Bubble experience around the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement while stars like LeBron James continued to preach the same, throughout the entirety of the Playoffs. 

LeBron James and the NBA reacts to the Derek Chauvin conviction

Chauvin killed an unarmed man in plain sight, so obviously the public demanded some form of judicial retribution. This finally came, nearly a year following the death of George Floyd, as on April 20th, 2021, the court ruled Derek Chauvin guilty on all 3 counts. 

These counts include: intentional 2nd degree murder, 3rd degree murder, and 2nd degree manslaughter. Chauvin will appear before a sentencing court in 8 weeks’ time, following which he will likely go through the appeals process.

The NBA world rejoiced after hearing of this, as Twitter exploded with players taking to the social media platform to express their gratitude. LeBron James led the charge by simply writing in all caps, “ACCOUNTABILITY”. 

Other players such as Jamal Crawford said that this is just step one in the right direction and that there is plenty more progress that needs to be done. 

Also Read: “Kevin Durant expressed condolences for Viviangate”: Nets star hilariously engages in conversation with Lakers fan regarding how he got ‘catfished’

The NBA themselves released this statement regarding Derek Chauvin’s conviction:

“George Floyd’s murder was a flash point for how we look at race and justice in our country, and we are pleased that justice appears to have been served.” 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

instagram-icon

Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

Read more from Samir Mehdi

Share this article