Brooklyn Nets' Landry Shamet speaks about the Derek Chauvin judgment in his post-match interview
Landry Shamet was ecstatic about the Brooklyn Nets’ latest victory but he seemed happier about the Derek Chauvin verdict handed down earlier on Tuesday. The former police officer was convicted in the death of George Floyd.
Shamet expressed how surreal the moment was during his post-match interview following the Nets’ 134-129 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
"It's kind of one of those moments where, as it was happening, I was thinking to myself, ‘This is kind of a flash bulb-like memory that people will talk about hopefully for a long time,’" Landry Shamet said about the judgment passed on Derek Chauvin.
Derek Chauvin was found guilty by a jury in Minneapolis. He was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the George Floyd case. Floyd was killed in May 2020, with the incident sparking protests and causing unrest around the country, including in the sports world.
The NBA and its players used their influence to fight against social and racial injustice inside the bubble last year. They have continued to do so this season to sustain the momentum of the movement.
Landry Shamet believes the Derek Chauvin judgment will be remembered
Speaking about how he found out about the Derek Chauvin verdict, the 24-year-old Landry Shamet spoke about how he believed this was going to be a landmark moment in US history.
"History books, kids in schools will learn about it and it'll be one of those things 20 years from now, ‘Where were you when this happened?’" Shamet added. “I hear people talk about the Rodney King trial and all that was going on how burned into their memory it was. So this is definitely one in the locker room with all my teammates and seeing the guilty verdict. I’m happy that the justice system came through and saw it the way it should be seen and the people that need to be held accountable were held accountable. So it's a good day in that sense.”
Landry Shamet is just one of several people in the NBA who shared their happiness at the result of the trial. The LA Lakers’ LeBron James and the Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert were among the many players to tweet their response to the Derek Chauvin judgment.
Perhaps inspired by the trial’s result, Landry Shamet scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting to help his team win against the Pelicans.
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