Athletes from the NBA and NFL, like Ja Morant, Trae Young, Darius Leonard and Melvin Gordon, didn't hold back their thoughts on Kyle Rittenhouse's verdict over the deadly Kenosha shootings in 2020.
As reported on Friday, Rittenhouse was found not guilty of the first-degree intentional homicide and four felony charges thrown at him. The jurors deliberated and eventually agreed that Rittenhouse was acting in self-defense in the said Kenosha shooting that killed two people and severely injured another person. To recall, the tragic incident happened during the height of social unrest in the country amid racial injustices.
Following the announcement of the verdict, several NBA and NFL stars took to Twitter to share their reactions. Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns earlier shared his disappointment on how “the system is broken” over the not guilty verdict on Rittenhouse. Obviously, athletes like Ja Morant, Donovan Mitchell and Melvin Gordon share the same sentiment.
not surprised at all , smh …
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) November 19, 2021
At all🤦🏾♂️ https://t.co/N5DhvrDZ28
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) November 19, 2021
All I can say is wow https://t.co/KYPeHKh21d
— F L ⚡️ S H (@Melvingordon25) November 19, 2021
Meanwhile, Trae Young, Darius Leonard and Robert Griffin III couldn't help but compare the situation to that of former death row inmate Julius Jones. Before he was granted clemency on Thursday, Jones was scheduled to be executed after he was convicted for a 1999 shooting that reportedly has several inconsistencies and doubts about the real culprit.
Make it make sense.. pic.twitter.com/MiSe2Ymp37
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) November 19, 2021
Boy you better stop spreading the truth like that man, you know they don’t like the harsh truth! https://t.co/BQ2gtqhDNi
— Darius Shaquille Leonard (@dsleon45) November 19, 2021
Kyle Rittennhouse can kill without a sliver of doubt & walk free but Julius Jones is in jail for life without the chance for parole after being on death row for 20 years with all types of doubt in his case. What is Justice? God help us.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) November 19, 2021
For his part, Colin Kaepernick called for massive changes after the verdict. Kap, who has been fighting and protesting racial injustices for a long time now, shared that the verdict shows the desire to keep White Supremacy in power.




“We just witnessed a system built on white supremacy validate the terroristic acts of a white supremacist. This only further validates the need to abolish our current system. White supremacy cannot be reformed,” the former San Francisco 49ers QB wrote on Twitter.
The Kyle Rittenhouse case had been widely publicized, with athletes and the whole US waiting for the verdict to come in search for justice for the victims. The result, certainly, was not they were hoping for, especially since people died in the incident. Unfortunately, the verdict can no longer be appealed.
Here are other reactions from NBA, NFL and other athletes with regards to the verdict.
Not like that but like that you can be white and get away with anything!!! I’m scared for my life and my kids life.. But African Americans is locked up for life for shit they didn’t do!!! Damnit man!!!!What about those peoples families?? No justice for anything? Fuck that judge
— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) November 19, 2021
Guess the forced tears worked..
— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) November 19, 2021
Ha, let the boy be black and it would’ve been life…hell he would’ve had his life taken before the bullshit trial.. sad
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) November 19, 2021
I’m not even surprised!
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) November 19, 2021