Jerami Grant of the Nuggets focuses on Breonna Taylor in the interview

Denver Nuggets striker Jerami Grant used his entire interview with reporters on Wednesday to discuss Breonna Taylor’s death and the police brutality issue.

Grant fielded five questions, including one about teammate Nikola Jokic who joined the Nuggets in Orlando to practice. Regardless of the question, he responded by making a statement and keeping the focus of his answers on Taylor and social justice.

Grant’s first question was what the Nuggets had done during their free time.

“It’s nice to be here with my teammates, it’s nice to be playing basketball again, but for me personally, and I think a lot of players, it’s imperative that we focus on what’s really important in the world,” he said. Grant. “One thing for me is that Breonna Taylor’s killers are still around for free, so I want to focus on this with these interviews and things like that. I want to stay focused there.”

Taylor, a 26-year-old black emergency medical technician, was shot eight times on March 13 in Louisville, Kentucky by plainclothes officers serving a drug search warrant without knocking on his apartment. His death sparked outrage across the country, with protesters calling for the officers’ accusation.

Nuggets manager Michael Malone praised Grant for using his platform for a cause he wants to fight for.

“I respect Jerami doing it,” said Malone. “It’s a big point of emphasis from the league, the coaches, the NBPA, who comes here. Make sure to continue the conversation and keep the spotlight where it should be. For Jerami, dedicate his press conference to the memory of the life of Breonna Taylor is exceptional, so I applaud him for this. “

Grant said he will not wear one of the social justice messages available on his shirt to make a statement, saying he would have “preferred to do it with words” during his time with reporters.

“[There’s] There are a lot going on in the world right now with police brutality and racism and things like that, and I want to focus on that, “said Grant.” These are difficult times. It has been like this for a long time. Basketball is something that I love and something that everyone loves, but at the same time we need to focus on what is important. “

Grant added that he and his family participated in a couple of protests.

“For me, it was nice to be able to experience history, to be able to see people get together for our culture,” he said. “It was fantastic. I have a foundation [‘Hour Generation Foundation’] trying to return to our community and things like that. I did things behind the scenes, just trying to keep everyone together. “