In North California, the Mendocino boys and girls basketball team wore “I Can’t Breathe” tees during their pregame warm-ups to protest the deaths of the unarmed black men in Ferguson and New York. According to the Associated Press, officials at an annual basketball tournament in Northern California has banned the Mendocino team from wearing their tees.
The district’s superintendent says that he would allow the team to play if the school decided not wear the “I Can’t Breathe” tees. Most of the players from the boys team made the decision to not wear their tee, but the girls basketball team chose not to participate in the tournament at all. The players were not happy that the superintendent and officials were not allowing the team and school to practice their First Amendment Rights. The Officials comment that the tees would jeopardize the safety of the tournament.
The “I Can’t Breathe” tees were seen on some of the superstars of NBA. Players such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Derrick Rose, and many more.