Bryant, Lakers In 'I Can't Breathe' Shirts In Warmup
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant showed their support Tuesday night for those protesting police brutality nationwide with "I Can't Breathe" T-shirts.
Nearly all of Bryant's teammates wore the black T-shirts during pre-game warmups at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
The Lakers each had the T-shirts on their chairs in their dressing room before the game.
Via Twitter, Bryant could be seen donning the shirt right before tipping off. Every player except backup center Robert Sacre wore the shirts.
Tipping off in moments. #GoLakers pic.twitter.com/YTE9LSqWty
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 10, 2014
Bryant and the Lakers followed the lead of LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Kevin Garnett and other athletes across American sports by wearing the shirts to support the family of Eric Garner.
Garner died July 17 after a police officer in New York placed him in a chokehold while he was being arrested. A recording of Garner's arrest showed him gasping "I can't breathe" during the fatal encounter, and thousands have protested a grand jury decision not to indict the officer.
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