The NBA community reacted with fury and outrage after Wednesday's announcement that no active officers would face charges in the killing of Breonna Taylor.

One former Louisville police officer, Brett Hankison, was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree for his actions on the night Taylor died, but he was not charged for her death. Hankison was indicted for “wantonly and blindly” firing his gun in Taylor’s building, according to CNN. The other officers present for the incident, Jon Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove were not charged with a crime.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said the officers were “justified in their use of force” in his press conference announcing the charges.

NBA players have been outspoken in their calls for justice for Breonna Taylor, while the WNBA dedicated its entire 2020 season to Taylor — the 26-year old woman who was shot multiple times on March 13 by LMPD officers who entered her apartment at night.

 

The Taylor announcement came a few hours before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens revealed what he told his players in the wake of the news.

“I just sent them a text midday…and I just said, ‘If you need somebody to vent to or need somebody to talk to or you want to call or get me in-person at the gym, feel free.'”

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Stevens also shared his own reaction to Cameron's decision, quoting Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr in calling the news “demoralizing.”

“The idea of just going into that apartment doesn’t make any sense and to have 15 rounds of gunfire fired, five of which hit her, and there to be wanton endangerment — which I didn’t know existed before today — as the charge, it’s tough…There’s been a call across the country, rightfully so, for more transparency, more accountability and just a better community relationship. Obviously, this feels like a setback for that.”

The Boston coach did, however, express some degree of optimism for the American justice system, while acknowledging that Taylor decision “doesn't feel good.”

“The other side is, you see a lot of cities in lots of places really taking steps that should have taken a long time ago…whether it’s meeting the issues of the 8 Can’t Wait, whether it’s committing to civilian review boards, whether its better transparency and data, whether it’s diversifying the police force even more to match that of the neighborhood, whatever the case may be.”