Damian Lillard Wears "I Can't Breathe" Shirt Prior to Trail Blazers/Timberwolves Game, Says Eric Garner Death "Hit Home"

Damian Lillard wore an "I Can't Breathe" shirt because of an incident eerily similar to his own experience.

Image via USA TODAY Sports/Brace Hemmelgarn

Damian Lillard is the latest player to wear an "I Can't Breathe" shirt before a game. The Portland Trail Blazers star guard joins the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Derrick Rose and many other NBA players that have donned the black shirt with the last words of Eric Garner, who died from a chokehold placed on him by a member of the NYPD. But there is something that separates Lillard from the aforementioned stars. Garner's incident struck a chord with Dame. 

Per forwardcenter.net:


“For me it’s because I knew a guy, Oscar Grant, who had a similar situation,” said Lillard. “It hit home. Oakland is one of the main cities right now that’s protesting it and making a stand about it. It’s also one of the more recent things that actually got caught on camera, so I got to actually see it. I think when you can see something for yourself, that makes you want to lobby for it even more. I think that’s why it’s ‘I Can’t Breathe’ because that’s the video we saw. I feel like there’s something to be said about it.”

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[via forwardcenter.net]

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