As the world continues to mourn the loss of George Floyd and protest against racial injustice, the Toronto Raptors released a statement on Saturday in response to the issue.

The team called for humankind to confront the systemic problem and do more than just grieve.


The statement reads as follows:

“As an organization and a community, we come from all over the world. We are diverse, we speak different languages, but our shared humanity unites us. When we see racism and violence committed against someone because of the colour of their skin, we should, and do, feel outrage. We cannot accept this.

While we grieve for those we have lost, we know grieving is not enough. We must honour their memory by acknowledging these ills exist, confronting them, and coming together to create a better society.

It is far past time.”


Floyd was killed earlier this week after being pinned to the ground beneath the knee of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

In the aftermath of Floyd’s death, many prominent voices in the sports community have spoken up against racial injustice, including former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey.