Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony Join Protest in Support of Trayvon Martin
New York Knicks superstars Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony are the latest pro ballers to don hooded sweatshirts in support for Trayvon Martin, according to the New York Post.
Martin, a teen who was shot to death on Feb. 26 by a neighborhood crime watch volunteer, has become a trending topic around the globe in recent days after his case was brought to the forefront by a host of prominent figures, including President Obama.
Stoudemire wore a gray hoodie in pregame warmups Friday night in Toronto according to the report.
Meanwhile, Anthony tweeted a picture of himself in the symbolic hoodie along with the words "I Am TRAYVON MARTIN!!!!!" The photo can be seen here, on Anthony's Twitter page.
Both players combined for 29 points in the Knicks' 96-79 loss to the Toronto Raptors, which snapped a five-game winning streak.
The Guardian blogger Kevin Powell tweeted the following Friday night about Stoudemire's speaking out on the NBA hardwood:
"Bad night for New York Knicks but salute to Amare Stoudemire for wearing hoodie on his head in honor of Trayvon Martin during shootarounds.
— Kevin Powell (@kevin_powell) March 24, 2012"
Powell is right on the money, however. Stoudemire and Anthony are two of the biggest names in the league and garner plenty of attention from fans as well as the media. Although they are not obligated to take a stand, they are encouraged to as public figures.
The NBA's leading assist man and former teammate of Stoudemire, Steve Nash also joined in on the protest in support of Martin early Saturday morning when he tweeted a photo of himself in a hoodie along with "#wewantjustice."
After LeBron James and the Miami Heat made a statement on Friday with a photo of the entire roster wearing hoodies, it only seemed necessary that the rest of the NBA's main attractions would follow suit and use their fame and recognition as a platform to draw attention to this tragedy and make sure lessons are learned.
