Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook arrived at his first media availability in Orlando wearing a shirt that featured the names of numerous Black people killed by police, including Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
The shirt also pays tribute to Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, and Sandra Bland.
The nine-time All-Star's apparel company, Honor the Gift, recently teamed up with the NBPA to produce shirts for players, which include social justice messages that weren't permitted on game jerseys.
"I wanted to be able to, No. 1, show my respects to the families," Westbrook told reporters Wednesday, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
Russell Westbrook wearing one of his Honor The Gift shirts produced in conjunction with the NBPA. pic.twitter.com/OsFXoBKK25
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 22, 2020
Westbrook returned to Rockets practice Wednesday for the first time since testing positive for COVID-19. The 31-year-old says he experienced no symptoms other than a stuffy nose and called on the public to protect themselves from the coronavirus.
"Wearing a mask can be the difference between life and death, honestly," Westbrook said, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. "People are dying from this virus each and every day, and it's something we need to take very seriously."
Westbrook has been solid during his first season in Houston, averaging 27.5 points, eight boards, seven assists, and 1.7 steals across 53 appearances. The Rockets are tied for fifth in the Western Conference with a 40-24 mark but are just 2 1/2 games back of the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 seed.
