After scoring 50 points in a must-win game, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray thanked his shoes – with an image of George Floyd on one and Breonna Taylor on the other.
“These shoes give me life,” he said through tears. “Even though these people are gone, they give me life. They help me find strength.”
Murray carried his team to a win over the Utah Jazz with a score of 119-107 Sunday night, the same day NBA players reached a deal with owners on social justice initiatives. Leading up to the deal, many players took stands against police brutality and racial injustice, some even boycotting games.
“We found something we’re fighting for as the NBA, as a collective unit,” Murray said, adding that the shoes serve as a reminder of that fight and the work ahead.
“It’s not going to take one night,” Murray said. “We’ve been trying to fight for 400 years.”
CNN’s Kevin Dotson contributed to this report.