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Just outside the Barclays Center, hundreds of demonstrators gathered to march on Flatbush Avenue. Bundled beneath layers of coats, they held signs high above their heads:

“Respect existence, or expect resistance.”

“Take time to talk.”

“Rebel with a cause.”

And as they moved, they chanted: 

“I can’t breathe.”

“I can’t breathe.”

“I can’t breathe.”

It was the sixth straight night that they had come together to protest the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who was choked by an NYPD officer during an altercation in Staten Island in July of 2014. A videotape of the confrontation showed the 43-year-old Garner gasping “I can’t breathe,” while the officer’s arm was wrapped around his neck.

It was now December and the grand jury had just ruled not to indict the officer, clearing him of any criminal wrongdoing.

“I can’t breathe” quickly became one of the rallying cries for the Black Lives Matter movement, as people contested the jury’s decision across the country. 

Inside the Barclays Center, the Nets were preparing to host LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Fans had struggled to get to the arena due to the protests, which had resulted in several nearby streets being shut down. 

The anticipation for that game—especially given it was early in the regular season—was extremely high. LeBron, of course, had a lot to do with that. So did Prince William and his wife Kate, who would be in attendance to watch.  The building was packed with media and other major celebrities. Jay-Z and Beyonce were seated courtside. 

At times of tension and distress, sports can often serve as a valuable distraction. They can be a brief escape from hostility and tragedy. They can take one’s mind off daily stresses and ongoing plights. Yet, and perhaps more importantly, they can also serve as a means to address those issues head-on. And with all eyes on this star-studded event, being played in the same city where Eric Garner had died that year, a statement was made.

As the teams went through warm-ups, James and All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving wore black t-shirts with the words, “I CAN’T BREATHE,” printed in all caps on the front. Members of the Nets joined them, including Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett, Alan Anderson and Jarrett Jack—their shirts were actually provided by Jay-Z, according to The New York Daily News. 

“I talked to Jay Z about us being in Brooklyn, and how it would be big for us to wear the shirts, especially with all the publicity that was at this game because of the royal couple,” Williams said. “Jay Z is a smart guy. Him being from New York City and growing up here, I’m sure he’s seen his fair share of things like this. So I’m sure it hits closer to home for him being from Brooklyn and a part of this city.”

The NBA technically required players to sport the attire of adidas, which was the League’s official apparel provider back then, and could fine those who did not follow their guidelines (However, no fines ended up being assessed in this case).

But that didn’t matter. This was about something bigger, about supporting a larger message.

Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose had first worn the shirt a couple of days earlier, and LeBron had expressed his support for the decision. It was fitting that he would follow in Rose’s footsteps in New York, playing for a prominent audience with protests taking place less than 100 yards away. This was a big platform and it wouldn’t go to waste.

“It’s just for us to understand what we’re going through as a society,” said James, when asked about the shirts. “As a society we have to do better. We have to be better for one another no matter what race you are.”

“I think it’s really important that we show our respect to the families,” added Irving. “More importantly we’re in the city where tragedy happened and it’s really important to us that we stand up for a cause, especially this one. It hits close to home and means a lot to me.

“Things happen within the world that you can’t necessarily control but for me standing up and taking it as my own and being a part of something bigger than myself…it’s just…what happened is a tragedy.”

The shirts instantly made waves on social media and were highly discussed in the ensuing news cycle. We have grown increasingly accustomed to NBA players—particularly James—using their influence to speak out on subjects regarding race, politics and more. That night in Brooklyn was yet another reminder that athletes would not just be athletes. They would not just shut up and dribble.

“I think LeBron did the right thing,” former President Barack Obama told People Magazine, a little over a week after the game. “We forget the role that Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe and Bill Russell played in raising consciousness. We went through a long stretch there where [with] well-paid athletes the notion was: just be quiet and get your endorsements and don’t make waves. LeBron is an example of a young man who has, in his own way and in a respectful way, tried to say, ‘I’m part of this society, too’ and focus attention.”

Cleveland routed Brooklyn, 110-88, that evening. It was a quiet one from James (18 points, 7 assists) and Irving (7 points, 5 assists). Not that anyone would remember the score or the stats. It was what happened before the ball was tipped that left a lasting imprint.

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via Getty.

Jahmius Ramsey and top-ranked Duncanville (TX) hit the road in the first round of the playoffs to face a gritty Waxahachie team. Down the stretch, Duncanville trailed by five and Ramsey took matters into his own hands to give the Panthers the W.

Ramsey went at it with Drew Timme last month in Texas.

LeBron James, a jack of all trades, can officially add “A&R” to his resume.

James, a three-time NBA champion with an array of accolades, is the A&R for 2 Chainz’s upcoming album, “Rap or Go to the League,” which releases March 1 on Apple Music.

Def Jam recently released an in-depth interview of A&R Bron and 2 Chainz chopping it up about the new album.

In the latest episode of SLAM Practice, we mic’d up Hailey Van Lith, one of the Pacific Northwest’s coldest hoopers, to see what goes down at Cashmere (WA) HS.

Van Lith, a five-star guard in the 2020 class, recently surpassed 2,000 points last month.

Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Michael Beasley is finalizing a deal to join Guangdong of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Beasley will reportedly earn “significant cash” over a two-month run.

In 26 games with the Lakers this season, the 30-year-old Beasley averaged 7.0 points on 49% shooting from the field.

RELATED: Michael Beasley: ‘I Don’t Understand’ the Lonzo Ball Criticism

James Harden says the historic scoring rampage he’s on is simply a result of the Rockets’ rash of injuries this season.

“That’s something I have to do in order to give us a chance to win the game,” says the NBA’s reigning MVP.

Harden told fellow All-Stars this weekend that he would like play less “hero ball” for Houston going forward.

Per ESPN:

“The scoring streak is obviously amazing, but it’s something that I just had to do because of our situation,” Harden said in a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols.

“We had all the injuries and guys in and out of the lineup and things like that. So I think the streak just started happening, and now it’s like something to talk about.”But it’s not something that I’m really honestly focused on. That’s something I have to do in order to give us a chance to win the game.”

Fellow former MVP Stephen Curry, while wearing a microphone for NBA TV, revealed in a conversation during Saturday’s All-Star practice that Harden adamantly declared that he’d like to share the ball more.

“It’s interesting because I was talking to James in the back, obviously complimented him on what he’s done,” Curry said while chatting with Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. “The first thing he said was like, ‘Yeah, this is fun, but I wanna play different [than] like playing by myself, whatever, hero ball.’ But like the people want him to play like that in a system where they can actually play beautiful basketball with guys that know how to play.”

Related

‘He’s Probably Right’: James Harden Responds to Kobe Bryant’s Criticism

Bradley Beal used All-Star Weekend in Charlotte to engage in some friendly tampering.

Beal wouldn’t reveal any names, but says the recruitment among the NBA’s best was a two-way street.

Bradley Beal is setting records for tampering honesty.

Plus, endorsement ideas for The Walking Bucket and more from Beal’s All-Star evening: https://t.co/pmkysPabNr pic.twitter.com/UAeK6PGrmM— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) February 18, 2019

The 25-year-old hopes his efforts will pay off once free agency kicks off July 1.

Per The Athletic:

“It was really crazy,” Beal said. “A lot of guys were coming to talk to me and asking me how I feel. The recruiting process is really going all right. It’s going all right. I’m trying. This is new for me. So, I’m definitely getting some ears and seeing where guys’ minds are at.”

Still, the league does not enforce player-on-player recruiting as if it were tampering. So, in this case, Beal can “tamper” away. And opponents can return the favor.

“Guys were, ‘So, what y’all doing in D.C.? How is D.C.?’ Or I’m asking, ‘What’s your situation? What you thinking about? How you feeling? Any changes need to be made?’” he said.

So, uhhh, who was it?

“I can’t name no names. I’m not gonna name no names. I ain’t gonna name no names. You’re not gonna have me out here for tampering. I ain’t gonna throw no names out. I’m keeping them in my piggy bank, my back pocket right here,” Beal said. “But in July, hopefully we can do something.”

Related

Wizards Owner: ‘We Will Never, Ever Tank’

The Madison Square Garden Company pushed back against the latest speculation that James Dolan is thinking about selling the New York Knicks.

MSG said in a statement Monday that “the story is 100 percent false.”

Here’s Madison Square Garden’s statement on the idea that Jim Dolan is courting offers to sell the Knicks: “The story is 100% false. There has been nothing. No discussions. No plans to have discussions – nothing.” https://t.co/wSdifUtIy6— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) February 18, 2019

Dolan, 63, recently said he wouldn’t completely rule out the idea if the right offer came along for a franchise said to be worth $4 billion.

Per ESPN:

“There has been nothing. No discussions. No plans to have discussions — nothing,” the company said in a statement. In a The Ringer podcast, host Bill Simmons said Dolan was “courting offers for the Knicks.” The Madison Square Garden Company said in a statement that “the story is 100 percent false.”

Team USA had a “bounty” on Yao Ming during the 2000 Olympics, according to Kevin Garnett, with $1 million going to whoever could posterize on the massive Chinese center.

No one ended up winning the bet: “None of us did. We all tried to dunk on Yao, but he would block it or we would miss.”

here’s my Q&A with kevin garnett. why he thinks AD should talk to danny ainge, his advice for kevin durant and the time team USA put a million dollar bounty on yao ming: https://t.co/xgUhm8aEKk— alex (@steven_lebron) February 15, 2019

Alas, they would have to settle for the greatest dunk in basketball history instead.

Per Yahoo! Sports:

I have to ask you about Vince Carter’s dunk over Frederic Weis at the 2000 Olympics. You were the first one on the court to greet Vince after the dunk, give him a little chest bump. What do you remember about that exact moment?

KG: “Everything just paused. First of all, people didn’t know, we had a bounty out on Yao Ming. The whole USA team had a bet. We had a million dollar bet on who was going to be the first person to dunk on Yao Ming. None of us did. We all tried to dunk on Yao, but he would block it or we would miss. So, the first thing I thought of when I saw Vince dunk over Frederic was oh shit, you won the million dollars. But then I realized it obviously wasn’t Yao. I pushed Vince, and if you look at the clip, he almost punches me in the face by accident. But my first thought was, oh shit, you won, you got the million.”

Cole Anthony is the No. 1-ranked point guard in the nation and he continues to show he didn’t get there by accident. Anthony’s been dominating the high school hoops scene since he was a freshman playing with the PSA Cardinals and is having a stellar season at Oak Hill Academy.

Anthony returned to the court at the Nike Extravaganza in California last month after being sidelined with an ankle injury.