LeBron James Posts Picture of ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Shirt After George Floyd’s Death

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

LeBron James posted a photo of himself wearing an “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirt Wednesday in response to the death of George Floyd after a Minneapolis police officer pinned Floyd to the ground Monday. 

James and several NBA players first wore the shirts in 2014 after a grand jury decided to not indict New York police officer Daniel Pantaleo following the death of Eric Garner, another unarmed black man like Floyd. Pantaleo had placed Garner in a chokehold during an arrest and kept him in the chokehold while Garner told the officers “I can’t breathe” several times.

Video surfaced this week of a Minneapolis police officer with his knee on the neck of Floyd, who also said he could not breathe. 

“It’s hard enough we’re coming up on the anniversary of my son’s death, and now to hear about this young man, it’s like deja vu,” Garner’s mother, Gwen Carr, told CNN. “It’s just like the murder of my son all over again. He was basically the same age as Eric.”

James previously posted an image depicting the police officer with his knee on Floyd’s neck next to an image of Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem with the text “This is why.”

“Do you understand NOW!!??!!?? Or is it still blurred to you??” James wrote.

Kaepernick’s protests of racial injustice and police violence began during the 2016 season. After the season, he opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers, who had planned to release him. He has been out of football since.

Retired NBA guard Stephen Jackson was friends with Floyd, calling him his “twin” in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

“The love is diff when u really wanna see your brother win,” Jackson wrote. “Twin was really living through me. He was talented in 2 sports and the difference between me and bro was I had more opportunity than he did. 2 things we have in common both from the bottom and both of our names will live forever. U will remember the name George Floyd. Love u twin. Rest Easy. Love to all who have love for all. I mean that.”

“Where we from not many make it out but my Twin was happy I did,” Jackson wrote in another post. “I’m gonna continue to make u proud fam. It makes me so angry that after all the things u been through when u get to your best self that they take u out like this. F-k Rest Easy Twin.

The four officers involved in Floyd’s death have been fired, and an investigation is ongoing.