LeBron Posts Photo of Kaepernick: 'Do You Understand NOW?'

Star responds to death of George Floyd
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted May 27, 2020 12:11 PM CDT
LeBron Posts Photo of Kaepernick: 'Do You Understand NOW?'
Protesters gather near the Minnesota Police 3rd Precinct during a gathering Tuesday, May 26, 2020, in response to the death the day before of George Floyd in police custody.   (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)

Thousands of people in Minneapolis protested the death of George Floyd in police custody Tuesday night—and sports stars including LeBron James expressed their anger on social media. On Instagram, James posted an image of a white police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck next to an image of former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem before an NFL game, Cleveland.com reports. "Do you understand NOW!!??!!?? Or is it still blurred to you??" the Lakers star wrote. Bystander video from the Minneapolis incident showed that the officer kept kneeling on Floyd's neck even after he repeatedly said he couldn't breathe.

James also posted an Instagram story that included the video. "We're hunted," he wrote. Numerous other NBA and NFL stars also expressed their outrage, as did Kaepernick himself, who has not played since the 2016 season, when he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice. Former NBA star Stephen Jackson, who was friends with Floyd, mourned the man he called "Twin" in a series of Instagram posts, reports ESPN. "Twin. I promise I won't let this BS ride. Already talked to @shaunking," he wrote. "Anybody from Houston/Cuney Homes u know this was my brother. Can't let this ride. All hands on deck. Rest Easy Twin." (Four officers involved in the arrest have been fired.)

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