Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and teammates marched with a group protesting racial injustice in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The protest marches in Milwaukee added some star power on Saturday evening.
Several Milwaukee Bucks players, including reigning NBA most valuable player Giannis Antetokounmpo, joined local activist Frank Nitty as protesters marched down 27th Street.
Antetokounmpo was joined by Bucks teammates Sterling Brown, Donte DiVincenzo, Brook Lopez, two-way player Frank Mason II and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis’ brother.
The group wore identical gray T-shirts with the slogan “I can’t breathe” printed on the front. All the players wore masks and gloves due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Bucks players met the marchers as they crossed the 27th St. Bridge over Interstate 94. They arrived in U-Haul vans and handed out beverages and snacks.
Giannis’ girlfriend, Mariah Riddlesprigger, and their young son, Liam, also made an appearance.
In the below video, Antetokounmpo begins to speak about 30 minutes in.
“This is our city, man,” Antetokounmpo said. “We got to come out here and support.”
The crowd roared its approval.
“We want change, we want justice, and that’s why we’re out here,” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s what we’re going to do today. That’s why I’m going to march with you.
“I want my kid to grow up here in Milwaukee, and not to be scared to walk in the streets. I don’t want my kid to have hate in his heart.”
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Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and some of his teammates march with a group protesting racial injustice on Saturday, June 6, near North 27th Street and West Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee. The group they were with joined a larger group led by activist Frank Nitty and continued their march. (Photo: Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
The players then marched behind Nitty.
Brown’s participation in the march is particularly poignant. In January 2018, a group of Milwaukee Police Department officers took Brown to the ground, tased and arrested him after a parking violation at a Walgreens, prompting an internal investigation that ended with several officers suspended and others retrained. Brown was not charged in the incident.
Brown has filed a lawsuit against the city. He rejected a $400,000 settlement offer.
The Bucks haven’t played since early March when the coronavirus prompted the suspension of the NBA season. On Friday, the NBA players approved a plan to return to action in late July at Disney World in Orlando.
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Contact Ben Steele at (414) 224-2676 or bmsteele@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenSteeleMJS or Instagram at @bensteele_mjs