Nets' Joe Tsai: Racial Inequality Protests at Barclays Center Are 'Good with Me'

Brooklyn Nets governor Joe Tsai is supporting peaceful protestors using the Barclays Center as a gathering place in the aftermath of George Floyd's death, according to a statement the 56-year-old billionaire gave to the New York Daily News' Kristian Winfield:

"Those of us who cannot possibly experience the personal pain and indignity of racism towards black people feel a sense of helplessness as frustration and anxiety reach a boiling point. But it does not mean that we sit idle.

"We have said that we will use the voice and platform of the Nets, Liberty and Barclays Center to facilitate empathy and dialogue. In Brooklyn, the Plaza at Flatbush and Atlantic has become a place for people to assemble and have their voice heard. If it continues to serve as a place where everyone from our community—from residents to businesses to police alike—gather peacefully to listen to each other and find common ground, then it’s good with me."

The Nets released a joint statement with the G League Long Island Nets, WNBA's New York Liberty and Barclays Center on May 31:

Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man, was killed while in Minneapolis police custody May 25. Derek Chauvin, who has since been fired, arrested and charged, knelt on the back of Floyd's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds before the North Carolina native was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Chauvin was initially charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter May 29, but the three officers also involved with Floyd's arrest were not charged until June 3. The trio was charged with aiding and abetting, while Chauvin had a second-degree murder charge added:

Protests have been taking place across all 50 states and around the world addressing police brutality and racial injustice.

Tsai previously spoke out about the political divide between China and the United States last fall.