Curry, Thompson among Warriors to join Oakland protest
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were among multiple Golden State Warriors players who participated in a "Walking in Unity" protest Wednesday in Oakland.
Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, an Oakland native, led the march. Toscano-Anderson signed a contract with the Warriors in February after opening the season with their G League affiliate.
"Say her name."@juanonjuan10 leads his Walking in Unity event in Oakland. pic.twitter.com/7l0EjSwOt5
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 3, 2020
Curry's wife, Ayesha, also attended the rally. They joined the crowd in chanting the name of George Floyd, a black man who died May 25 after former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
"Say his name."@StephenCurry30 and @ayeshacurry join @juanonjuan10 at his Walking in Unity event in Oakland. pic.twitter.com/bT8eZhrjpt
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 3, 2020
.@KlayThompson joins @juanonjuan10 at his Walking in Unity event in Oakland. pic.twitter.com/jzzKluLzoX
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 3, 2020
Golden State guard Damion Lee and center Kevon Looney were also in attendance, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell. The peaceful march took participants around Lake Merritt, where the Warriors have celebrated recent NBA championships, Friedell notes.
Toscano-Anderson addressed the crowd to close out the event.
"Spread knowledge. Share the message. Enlighten people. Educate people. It's a long journey, man. It's a marathon, not a sprint."@juanonjuan10 closes out today's Walking in Unity event in Oakland. pic.twitter.com/i310fVkBUt
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 3, 2020
The Warriors moved to Oakland full time in 1971 and were based there through the 2018-19 season. They returned to San Francisco ahead of the current campaign.