La NBA has come together again to ask for justice after the tragically Tyre Nichols, an African-American man who was arrested in Memphis by the police and brutally beaten on January 7. The injuries caused took him to the hospital and he died three days later.
As happened with the protests with George Floyd, NBA teams came together to call for a stop to violence and police brutality in United States. Before the game between Grizzlies at Memphis and Minnesota Timberwolves, a minute of silence was observed, while the league posted a statement on the matter.
“The images of Tire Nichols’s life unnecessarily interrupted are horrifying. While there have been steps toward accountability in this case, the NBA family remains committed to partnering with advocates, lawmakers, and law enforcement to work on solutions to the issues we continue to face,” the league said.
For her part, the NBA Players Association condemned the facts and asked the Nichols family for justice.
“Our hearts go out to the entire Memphis community as they process and deal with this horrific tragedy, and we support the lawful arrest of all officers involved. Such aggressive police action and excessive force illustrate the continuing need of accountability in the justice system.
Taylor Jenkins, Memphis Grizzlies coach, sends strong message for the death of Tire Nichols
The Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins spoke to the media after the images of the blows that Tyre Nichols received from five officials and assured that the team is devastated.
“It’s hard to understand what our city is going through right now. We can’t wait to come home to hug everyone in Memphis as they grapple with the loss of life, senseless loss of life.”
Jenkis said that the team is working to be an example to your community.
“Obviously there have been layoffs, the district attorney has issued second degree murder charges, but there is much more to be done. There is so much healing that needs to be done. There is much work to be done to continue to unite our city to move forward, to heal. It just reminded me, it will remind our players, our staff, obviously, the opportunity we have to continue to be a beacon of hope for our city”
