Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Racism is 'more deadly than COVID-19'

Hall of Famer and legendary Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has had enough of the systematic racism in the United States, and he opened up about all the feelings he's been experiencing regarding the matter in an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times.

Everything about Abdul-Jabbar's writing was powerful, but one thing specifically stood out when he compared racism to a deadly virus — he couldn't be any more right. Abdul-Jabbar wrote:

"So, maybe the black community’s main concern right now isn’t whether protesters are standing three or six feet apart or whether a few desperate souls steal some T-shirts or even set a police station on fire, but whether their sons, husbands, brothers and fathers will be murdered by cops or wannabe cops just for going on a walk, a jog, a drive. Or whether being black means sheltering at home for the rest of their lives because the racism virus infecting the country is more deadly than COVID-19. What you should see when you see black protesters in the age of Trump and coronavirus is people pushed to the edge, not because they want bars and nail salons open, but because they want to live. To breathe."

Abdul-Jabbar's words come after the death of George Floyd and in reaction to the many protests sweeping the country to combat police brutality and racial injustice.

This isn't the first time the six-time NBA champion has spoken out about racism in the United States — he's done so on multiple occasions. He 2018, he spoke to students at the University of Rochester about issues dividing the country, and in 2019 wrote an article for The Guardian discussing what sports taught him about racism in America.

Floyd, an African American man, died Monday after being restrained by police for alleged forgery. An officer put immense pressure on Floyd's neck with his knee as he laid on the ground fighting for his life. A witness's video surfaced showing Floyd begging for his life and even telling the officer he couldn't breathe. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The officer who knelt on Floyd's neck, Derek Chauvin, was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.