MANILA, Philippines – Several Fil-foreign PBA players joined athletes worldwide in calling for justice for George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by a police officer during an arrest in the US city of Minneapolis.
San Miguel’s Chris Ross, Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood, and Meralco’s Chris Newsome, to name a few, took to social media to deliver their message underlining the rampant racism people of color endure.
The players went live on Instagram on Monday, June 1, and offered a moment of silence while taking a knee and holding a sign that showed “Could’ve been me” and “#JusticeForGeorgeFloyd.”
“We just wanted to spread awareness that this is a real thing and if you weren’t really sure about what’s going on, we want to spread this awareness that injustice is all over this world,” Newsome said.
“I’m blessed because like the sign said, it could have been me, it could have been my dad, it could have been my brother, it could have been my sister.”
TNT’s Ray Parks used a handcuff – presumably a nod to how a handcuffed Floyd died as policeman Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck – while his teammate Harvey Carey was accompanied by his son in his video.
“I encourage everybody to be better, continue to try your best to love one another, love your neighbors, love your enemies,” Newsome said.
“Love those people who are close to you while they are all here because you never know, life can be over in a blink of an eye.”
Other players who also went live were Columbian’s CJ Perez, Rashawn McCarthy, and Roosevelt Adams, Barangay Ginebra’s Joe Devance, San Miguel’s Mo Tautuaa and Marcio Lassiter, and NorthPort’s Kelly Nabong. – Rappler.com
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