LeBron James tweets profound reaction to Breonna Taylor ruling

LeBron James spoke out about the controversial ruling in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Prior to the NBA‘s return-to-play in Walt Disney World, players expressed their concerns about distracting from the countrywide protests to combat systemic racism and police brutality. One of the catalysts for the countrywide protests was Breonna Taylor, an EMT who was killed by Louisville police officers after they mistakenly shot her in her apartment in a botched drug raid. Various NBA athletes have condemned the actions of those three detectives, calling for their arrests.

On Wednesday, a Louisville grand jury indicted former detective Brett Hankison on three felony charges of wanton endangerment for shooting at an apartment next door to Taylor. There were no charges in relation to Taylor’s death, as the other two detectives were not indicted, leaving many feeling deflated and defeated.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James spoke out on Twitter hours after the ruling was handed out, saying he wasn’t surprised by the verdict but was disappointed that the late 26-year-old EMT was not given justice. James then sent his love to Taylor’s family and repeatedly said that he was sorry.

https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1308933418454052866

LeBron James is disappointed that justice was not served

James, along with many other NBA players, have been outspoken about Taylor’s death. Prior to a game inside the Orlando bubble, James wore a hat that read “Make America Arrest the Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor.” James’ teammate Danny Green said that the ruling on Taylor’s death “wasn’t enough.” Throughout the league’s return-to-play plan, Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell wore the social justice message, “Say Her Name,” in honor of Taylor.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said on Wednesday that the Louisville grand jury’s decision was “not justice,” while Boston Celtics sideline boss Brad Stevens called the news “demoralizing.”

The message that James expressed on his social media account was universal across the NBA. This was far from the ruling they wanted, but that won’t deter them from continuing their fight for social justice across the United States. These are the very players who boycotted playoff games to bring awareness to racial injustice following the shooting of Jacob Blake last month. They will continue to fight the good fight.