On Monday, George Floyd was in an altercation with a Minneapolis police officer which led to the officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck, despite Floyd saying he could not breathe and eventually, he stopped moving. Floyd ended up dying at the age of 46. Video surfaced of the event on social media on Tuesday leading to a firestorm of responses, which included that from some notable professional athletes.

LeBron James posted a picture on his Instagram account which had a picture of the office on Floyd’s neck on one side and Colin Kaepernick kneeling on the other with the caption “Do you understand NOW!!??!!?? Or is it still blurred to you?? #StayWoke.” In September 2016, Kaepernick started taking a knee during the national anthem in protest of police brutality toward black people.

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James has been very vocal about issues of racial injustice in the past, sharing a post on Instagram after a video of the death of Ahmaud Arbery came to light a couple weeks ago.

Other athletes shared their thoughts on social media, including DeMarcus Lawrence, Donovan Mitchell, and Lisa Leslie.

The officers involved in Floyd’s death have since been fired, according to Mayor Jacob Frey, and the FBI and state law enforcement are investigating what took place.

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Article by Tyler Melito

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