NBA superstars LeBron James, Dwayne Wade Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony appeared together on stage during the ESPY award in the evening of July 13. They deplored the ongoing violence inflicted on colored people due to a perceived "shoot-to-kill" attitude from the police.
New York Knicks player Carmelo Anthony was the first to speak, according to the Daily Mail. Part of his speech touched on the matter of violence and racial tension currently going on in the United States. He said that the issues have been lingering for a very long time.
However, it is important that these problems should be tackled as soon as possible. Simply ignoring the problem will not make it go away according, to the Knicks player.
The second NBA speaker was Los Angeles Clipper player Chris Paul. He told the audience that he is "a nephew of a policeman". Paul then proceeded to name some of the most known cases involving black victims killed by the law enforcement agencies.
The third speaker was Dwayne Wade. In early July he told the press that his contract with the Miami Heat has ended. Wade will start the season with the Chicago Bulls and stay with them for at least two years.
He deplored the "racial profiling" allegedly being carried out by the police. He demanded an end to such practice. But he also denounced the recent bloody retaliations just like what happened in Dallas, Texas.
The fourth and last speaker was LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He mentioned the need for change to combat the wave of violence happening across the country.
Later that night, the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage was given to 15-year old teenager Zaevion Dobson. He died protecting three female friends from indiscriminate gunfire. Golden State Warrior Steph Curry presented Zenobia Dobson who accepted the award by proxy.
