US athletes' 'Blackout' stands with George Floyd

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ANKARA (AA) - Athletes and sports figures in the US are showing solidarity with protesters against the killing in police custody of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man, by posting images on social media of black squares.

As part of the Blackout Tuesday campaign, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry shared black squares on Instagram with the hashtag #blackouttuesday.

The NBA also posted a blank black image with the caption ''Black Lives Matter'' on the photo and video-sharing platform.

Basketball players Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Trae Young, Chris Paul, and Draymond Green also joined the campaign with "blackout" posts.

Several National Hockey League teams such as the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Toronto Maple Leafs shared messages with the trending hashtag.

Floyd, 46, died on May 25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

His last words were "I can't breathe," which became the slogan of the nationwide demonstrations.

The death has triggered violent protests across the US.