The death of George Floyd at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer George Chauvin was personal for the Timberwolves players — they live in and have ties to that community. They felt Floyd’s death — and the protests it sparked — in a different way from even the other players committed to social justice around the league.
In the same way, Chauvin being convicted of murder was personal. The Timberwolves had a game the night the verdict came down — a win over the Kings — and they dedicated the game ball from that night to Floyd’s family.
Tuesday night in Houston, Timberwolves players Karl Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and Josh Okogie gave that dedicated Sacramento game ball to the family of Floyd (who live in Houston), reports Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
After the win, KAT, Edwards and Okogie met with George Floyd's family, who live in Houston, and gave them the game ball from the Sacramento win, which they dedicated to Floyd and his family.
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) April 28, 2021
Classy move by the Timberwolves.
Towns said the night of the verdict/win that this was bigger than the players and they wanted to do the right thing, via Mark Medina of the USA Today.“This was a moment that wasn’t meant for us. This was meant for our city and for George Floyd’s family,” [Towns] said. “I think everyone in America right now is grieving with him and sending our prayers, blessings and love. They need it for countless days. They’ve been reminded of the tragedy that has taken place in their family. They’ve never truly got a chance to grieve. I think for us, we were just trying to do our part that we were there with him. This game of basketball is only just a little part of who we are. This organization and us really wanted to show them that we’re going to be with them every step of the way.”
