Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter by a jury on Tuesday in the death of George Floyd last May in Minneapolis.

Here is some reaction from around the world of sports:​


Kia Nurse

Canadian women's basketball star Kia Nurse shared her thoughts after Tuesday's verdict in Minneapolis:

 

NBA, NBPA 

The National Basketball Association and National Basketball Players' Association released the following statement Tuesday:

“George Floyd’s murder was a flash point for how we look at race and justice in our country, and we are pleased that justice appears to have been served. But we also recognize that there is much work to be done and the National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association, together with our newly-formed Social Justice Coalition, will redouble our efforts to advocate for meaningful change in the areas of criminal justice and policing.”

 

WNBA

“This past year, we have witnessed traumatizing instances of police brutality that Black Americans disproportionately experience, with the murder of George Floyd at the forefront of the conversation.  While this verdict represents a step toward justice, we are reminded that justice is too often not the outcome for people of color.  The WNBA/WNBPA Social Justice Council will continue its work to combat injustice and inequality in our country and hope this represents a true turning point for how the effects of systemic racism begin to be addressed.  We stand with all those who have felt the deep impact of George Floyd’s death.”

 

Reaction from Minnesota basketball

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns on Tuesday's verdict:

The Timberwolves themselves also weighed in:

The WNBA's Minnesota Lynx also released a powerful statement of their own

In June, the Lynx and Timberwolves joined forces with the Minneapolis Foundation to Pursue Justice, Equity and Healing in the ftermath of George Floyd’s death. Read more about the initiative here.

 

Minnesota Vikings

George Floyd's family was honoured by the Vikings in September before their home opener against the Green Bay Packers. Multiple members of the team attended Floyd's funeral in June.

 

Jabari Greer

TSN's Jabari Greer joined SportsCentre to discuss the importance of athletes continuing to fight for change and social justice.

 

LeBron James

 

CFL

 

Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka puts things into perspective:

 

Billie Jean King

 

Natasha Cloud

Washington Mystics guard announced last summer that she would sit out the 2020 WNBA season to continue to fight for social justice. Read more about Cloud's decision here.

Her thoughts from Tuesday:

 

Hockey Diversity Alliance

Find out more about the HBA's vision here.

 

Bubba Wallace

NASCAR's only Black driver, Bubba Wallace, reiterated that there is still a lot of work to do despite Chauvin's conviction on three separate counts.

 

Magic Johnson

 

P.K. Subban

 

Kevin Weekes

 

Andrew Wiggins

 

Donovan Mitchell

 

Russell Wilson

 

Patrick Mahomes

 

Dusty Baker

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker speaks after Tuesday's news:

 

MLB Players' Association

 

NFL

 

NWSL

 

Minnesota Whitecaps

 

Minnesota Wild

 

National Hockey League

A statement from the NHL: