LeBron among players, coaches to react to indictment in Breonna Taylor case

A grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned an indictment Wednesday of first-degree wanton endangerment charges against one police officer involved in the March 13 killing of Breonna Taylor.

Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was shot dead in her apartment by police serving a "no-knock warrant." Two other officers involved in Taylor's shooting were not charged.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who has consistently called for social justice and police reform since the NBA season restarted in Orlando this summer, tweeted that he was "hurt and heavy-hearted" but not surprised by the outcome:

Other current and former NBA players joined others in criticizing the decision:

Like Mitchell, Montrezl Harrell also played college basketball at Louisville and weighed in on the news:

Michele Roberts, the executive director of the NBPA, later issued a statement on the development.

"Sadly, there was no justice today for Breonna Taylor," Roberts said. "Her killing was the result of a string of callous and careless decisions made with a lack of regard for humanity, ultimately resulting in the death of an innocent and beautiful woman with her entire life ahead of her.

"Our players and I once again extend our deepest sympathies to her family and we vow to continue working in her honor and to always say her name."

Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone talked about the Taylor matter, and also invoked the case of Elijah McClain, a Colorado man who died in police custody in 2019.

Free-agent center DeMarcus Cousins compared the decision to U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to imprison anyone convicted of vandalizing statues such as confederate memorials: