Skip Bayless: LeBron James and Colin Kaepernick Had an ‘Impact’ On Chauvin Jury
Colin Kaepernick put his football career on the line in 2016, when he knelt during the national anthem with hopes of bringing awareness to police brutality and social injustice. Nearly five years later, Skip Bayless, believes Kaepernick had an impact on the jury that found Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd.
“The sports world had a lot to do with what happened yesterday,” Bayless told his Undisputed co-host on Fox Sports Shannon Sharpe. “All of the powerful voices, starting with LeBron James in the sports world had impact on that jury yesterday. Foremost, Colin Kaepernick had impact on that jury.”
Kaepernick’s protest was publicly scolded by former President Donald Trump, and many football fans. He was blackballed by the NFL, which later reached a financial settlement with the quarterback over his complaint of collusion.
“He professionally died for this cause. He gave up his chosen profession, his dream come true of playing quarterback in the NFL, he gave it up to protest just this,” Bayless said. “The killing by white cops of unarmed black women and men, that has gone on for years and years, gone on for far too long.”
Professional athletes in North American sports have become much more driven to speak out on political and social issues in recent years, after Kaepernick paved the way. Kneeling has become more prevalent, and last summer, the NBA controversially postponed a slate of playoff games as a form of protest to express their frustration over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Despite being previously told to “shut up and dribble” by FOX News host Laura Ingraham, James and other high profile athletes continue to follow Kaepernick’s lead.
“ACCOUNTABILITY,” James tweeted after the Chauvin verdict was announced.
“The ripples from [Kaepernick’s protest] are going to be felt for years and years,” Bayless said. “I wanted to thank him publicly for what he sacrificed for that to happen.”
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