Why Worthing Thunder will wear Black Lives Matter jerseys

By Steve Bone
Published 19th Aug 2020, 10:07 BST
Worthing Thunder's Zaire Taylor, who has revealed his personal link to the black Lives Matter campaignWorthing Thunder's Zaire Taylor, who has revealed his personal link to the black Lives Matter campaign
Worthing Thunder's Zaire Taylor, who has revealed his personal link to the black Lives Matter campaign
Worthing Thunder’s basketball players will promote the Black Lives Matter movement by wearing special shirts - as one of their directors reveals his own connection to the issue.

The bespoke jerseys will be worn at random games throughout the season – and instead of the player’s own name on the back of the shirt, the name of a black person who has been a victim of alleged police brutality will be featured.

Thunder are selling replicas of the jerseys for £35 a time, with a third of money going to the family of Eric Garner, who died after being arrested in New York in 2014, a third to Black Lives Matter UK and the remainder to Thunder’s youth programme

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Thunder player-director Zaire Taylor said it had been inspired by the killing in May this year of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a death that resulted in one police officer being charged with murder and manslaughter and three other police officers charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter.

The bespoke shirts Worthing Thunder will wear at some of their matches in the new seasonThe bespoke shirts Worthing Thunder will wear at some of their matches in the new season
The bespoke shirts Worthing Thunder will wear at some of their matches in the new season

Taylor said: “The fact this was recorded for the world to see created a public uproar and outcry around the world to end racism, inequality and police brutality. This was not the first time that such a horrific act had taken place... it wasn’t the first and hasn’t been the last.