SCREENGRAB from Gabe Norwood’s Instagram story
MANILA, Philippines — Players from the Philippine Basketball Association also won’t just shut up and dribble.
Several PBA stars made a strong and unified statement against racism in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
Spearheaded by longtime Philippine team mainstay Gabe Norwood, the players came together using their social media platforms and took a knee while holding a sign that read: “Could’ve been me! #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd.”
Taking a knee has been the symbol in the fight against racial injustice. The gesture was made famous by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who knelt during pre-game renditions of the US national anthem.
Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American, died last week after a policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while he was handcuffed.
According to reports, an official autopsy released Tuesday found that Floyd died in a homicide involving “neck compression.”
Joining Norwood were his fellow Fil-Americans Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter, Joe Devance, Mo Tautuaa, Harvey Carey, Kelly Williams, Chris Newsome, Ray Parks, Trevis Jackson, Rashawn McCarthy, Kelly Nabong and Roosevelt Adams, the top pick in the 2019 PBA Draft.
CJ Perez and KG Canaleta also took part in the call for change.
“No matter what you do in this world if your skin is colored you still looked at differently!!” Ross said in a separate story on Instagram while also quoting lyrics from billionaire rap mogul Jay-Z’s song “The Story of O.j.”
Riots do not develop out of thin air! Certain conditions continue to exist in our society!A RIOT IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE UNHEARD! It’s failed to hear the promises of freedom & justice have not been met! As long as America postponed Justice these riots will happen!(Please listen) https://t.co/yatkEKMC03
— Chris Ross (@cmross6) May 29, 2020
The death of Floyd has sparked protests throughout the US. In several cities, protests have turned violent as protesters clashed with the police.
Many athletes including tennis’ Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka and basketball’s Michael Jordan and LeBron James among others have also made their voices heard by denouncing racism.
A handful of NBA players including Karl-Anthony Towns, Jordan Clarkson, Jaylen Brown and Dennis Smith Jr. have also joined rallies in respective cities in the US.