The entire Los Angeles Lakers roster showed up to Game 1 of their playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers wearing matching hats. Modeled after the infamous red MAGA hats of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, they portray a very different message: “Make America arrest the cops who murdered Breonna Taylor.”
Police fatally shot Taylor on March 11 after breaking into her home in Louisville, Kentucky with a no-knock warrant. Although one of the three officers involved was fired, the others remain on the Louisville Police Department’s payroll, and none of them have been arrested.
Many of the Lakers have used their media time in the NBA’s Orlando bubble to ask for justice for Taylor. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Frank Vogel spoke extensively about the issue during the scrimmage phase of the league restart, which you can watch here.
Dwight Howard, who considered opting out of the season with concerns that it would distract from social justice work off the court, also has committed media time to discussing Taylor and speaking out against police brutality.
But while it’s clear that these players are wearing these hats to support the pursuit of justice for Taylor’s case, the move has also been met with some criticism. Merchandise featuring Taylor’s name brings about questions about how sellers are profiting off of her death. And while the phrase “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor” has helped the world learn her name and story, it’s also been treated by many as a punchline to use in memes. Understandably, this has raised concerns that the meme-fication of her case has distracted from the tangible demands of protesters demanding an end to police brutality.
That being said, many of these players are also taking other steps in the pursuit of racial justice in addition to wearing these hats. LeBron James recently joined forces with other NBA and WNBA stars to create the More Than a Vote organization. He’s seeking to raise awareness about how systemic racism enforces voter suppression while also providing people with resources to register to vote.
This all comes during a season when many NBA players— and athletes of all types— have made a stronger commitment to speaking explicitly about issues of social justice. Between these hats, kneeling before games, and wearing jerseys that feature personal statements about justice, players are using their massive platforms on a scale that we’ve never seen before.
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