In photos: Sports protests around the world
Members of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat kneel during the National Anthem before Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, September 30.
Mark J. Terrill/AP

In photos: The sports world has been taking a stand

Updated 1653 GMT (0053 HKT) October 1, 2020

Members of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat kneel during the National Anthem before Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, September 30.
Mark J. Terrill/AP

Since the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who was killed in police custody in May, many athletes and sports leagues have been throwing their support behind the protest movement calling for change.

The NFL was the latest league to make a statement, starting its 2020 season with messages in the end zones that said "End Racism" and "It Takes All of Us." In each Week 1 contest, there was also a pregame playing of the hymn "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which is known as the Black National Anthem.

In some stadiums, teams gathered together on the field to lock arms in a pregame "moment of unity." A few players across the league took a knee or raised a fist during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The NBA's Milwaukee Bucks made headlines in August when they decided to boycott a playoff game against the Orlando Magic. The Bucks were responding to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, which happened in Kenosha, Wisconsin, about 40 miles from Milwaukee.

The NBA went on to postpone all three of its playoff games that day, and other leagues followed suit: the WNBA, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer all called off games. The NBA and the WNBA also postponed their games the next day, as did the NHL and some baseball teams.

Since the NBA restarted its season, the words "Black Lives Matter" have been prominently displayed on its court and players have been sporting social-justice messages on the backs of their jerseys. But they aren't the only athletes who have been taking a stand.