‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ SAY NETS, LIBERTY, BARCLAYS CENTER

In a statement issued at noon Sunday — after two days of protests often centered on Barclays Center— Joe and Clara Tsai, joined by their sports executives, said “Enough is enough” and called for “a peaceful response” to the crisis gripping New York and the nation.

“We mourn the senseless and devastating loss of George Floyd, Breona Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others who lost their lives because of racial bias.”

“Today, we stand up and speak up against all forms of racial discrimination —overt or subconscious— especially against the Black community. We want to say, ‘Enough is enough.’”

The statement was noteworthy in that it did not limit the organizations’ indignation to the killing of George Floyd, the Minneapolis man killed by local police last Monday. Instead, it discussed the broader issue of racism.

The statement was signed by the Tsai’s; Oliver Weisburg, the Nets interim CEO; Sean Marks, the Nets GM; Alton Byrd, the vice president for business operations at the Long Island Nets; Keia Clarke, the chief operating officer of the Liberty, and Jonathan Kolb, the Liberty’s GM.

Of the seven signatories, four are people of color.

The four organizations are all part of BSE Global, Tsai’s parent company. Here is the full text...

The statement concluded ...

“We don’t pretend to have all the solutions. The organizations represented by the undersigned are committed to using our voice and our platform to facilitate empathy and dialogue, to help find answers, to heal the wound and pain.”

“We will continue work alongside our community —our fans, players, employees, and including law enforcement — to raise awareness, push back on racial prejudice and bring about meaningful change.”

The statement did not provide details on any initiatives but called for “a peaceful response in a joint fight against racism.”

The entrance plaza outside Barclays Center has been the focus of demonstrations in the city on Friday and Saturday nights and again Sunday with thousands congregating there and facing an often violent response from the NYPD. There was some damage to the plaza but no damage to the arena.

Photo by Lev Radin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Photo by Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images

Photo by Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images

Several incidents that took place at the arena plaza or nearby are under investigation by the city, In one video posted on Twitter, a young woman later identified as Dounya Zayer was shown being thrown to the side of the street by a New York City police officer, her head hitting the pavement.

Nets players also tweeted out their thoughts on the crisis...

• Brooklyn Nets speak out on death of George Floyd: ‘Enough is Enough’ - Marc Berman - New York Post
• Nets statement on George Floyd killing: ‘Enough is Enough’ - Kristian Winfield - New York Daily News
• Nets stand with protestors to say ‘Enough is Enough’ to all forms of racism - Scott Thompson - SNY