Jordan joins sports world call for change after Floyd death

LOS ANGELES - NBA icon Michael Jordan decried "ingrained racism" in America Sunday as the sports world's reaction to the death of unarmed black man George Floyd leapt leagues and continents.

"I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry," Jordan said in a statement Sunday, as protests of Floyd's death on May 25 spawned violence and looting. "I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country.

"We have had enough," said Jordan, who was famously reluctant to comment on social issues during his playing career.

Floyd died on May 25 after a white policeman in Minneapolis had held his knee on the handcuffed man's neck for several minutes.

"We need to continue peaceful expressions against injustice and demand accountability," Jordan said.

Jordan joined a chorus of voices from the NBA, NFL and other US sports demanding change for black Americans, but the demands weren't limited to the United States.

French footballer Marcus Thuram and England international Jadon Sancho called for justice for Floyd after scoring in Germany's Bundesliga.

Thuram took a knee after scoring for Borussia Moenchengladbach in a match against Union Berlin, while Sancho marked one of his three goals for Borussia Dortmund against Paderborn by lifting his jersey to reveal a T-shirt bearing the words "Justice for George Floyd".

Thuram's gesture echoed the protest of US racism spearheaded by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose decision to kneel during the national anthem at games in 2016 sparked outrage.

The gesture has now been heartbreakingly compared to the death of Floyd, who pleaded that he couldn't breathe as Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin kept his knee on his neck.

"Do you understand NOW!!??!!??" NBA superstar LeBron James tweeted above the contrasting images.

At half-time, his club tweeted a photo with the caption: "No explanation needed."

With US pro sports on hold amid the coronavirus pandemic, American athletes had no chance to demonstrate on the field of play.

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown and Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris were among a number of NBA players who took part in demonstrations over the weekend.

Brown drove 15 hours to lead a peaceful protest march in Atlanta, Georgia.

"First and foremost, I'm a black man and I'm a member of this community," the Georgia native said.

Agencies via Xinhua