Asian American athletes "can't breathe"

Lakers show their colors

Jordan Clarkson (end from left) and Jeremy Lin (far right) joined their teammates on the L.A. Lakers to express their views on the grand jury decisions for no indictments in the killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner in Staten Island, NY. (Washington Post photo)

ERIC GARNER'S last words as he was being choked to death was "I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't breathe."

His words have become a rallying cry for those who believe an injustice was committed when a Staten Island Grand Jury chose not to indict the police officer that used an illegal choke hold on Garner. Black athletes in particular have begun to publicly bare their sympathies by wearing t-shirts with the words "I can't breathe" emblazoned on the shirts.

Last Tuesday (Dec. 9) the entire L.A. Lakers NBA team (except for one player) wore the black t-shirts during warm-up.

Jeremy LIn and Jordan Clarkson - Chinese American and Filipino American respectively - showing their support, were the first Asian-American professional athletes to don the shirts this week along with the rest of the team, including Kobe Bryant, the team's best player.

The players had the support of their coach Byron Scott. “Freedom of choice and freedom of speech,” Scott said. “That’s their choice and whatever they choose, from my standpoint as a coach, I’m going to support them, but that’s their choice.”

“I think it would be a serious disservice to limit this to a race issue. It’s a justice issue," said Bryant. “You’re kind of seeing a tipping point right now, in terms of social issues. It’s become now at the forefront right now as opposed to being a local issue. It’s really been something that has carried over and spilled into the mainstream, so when you turn on the TV and you watch the news or you follow things on social media, you don’t just see African-Americans out there protesting.”

Some people may argue that athletes shouldn't use their celebrity status to voice their opinions.

Why not? They're Americans, too.

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