Thabo Sefolosha says the gruesome murder of George Floyd reminds him of his personal experience with police brutality five years ago.
The NBA veteran said, back in 2015, he was attacked while being arrested by a group of New York Police Department officers.
The unfortunate incident happened outside of a nightclub, with Sefolosha suffering a broken leg in the process.
The Houston Rockets swingman says while the four officers involved were later fired, the incident completely changed his viewpoint of law enforcement.
Speaking to the The Associated Press in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, he said racial abuse and discrimination against black people is “deep rooted”.
The 36-years-old said he was “horrified” after seeing the video of how the police officer handled Floyd.
The said video showed an officer pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck for almost eight minutes, leading to the victim’s suffocation and subsequent death.
Sefolosha said the abuse of black people goes beyond culture and called for reforms in the police departments.
“People talk about a few rotten apples,” told The Associated Press. “But you know, in my experience and from what we’re seeing, I think it’s deeper than that as a culture that’s deeply rooted in it, to be honest.
“That’s just my honest opinion. I think it’s really … part of a culture where it’s deeper than just a few bad apples.”
Sefolosha’s encounter with the police in 2015 ended with the NBA star being exonerated of any charges and rather getting $4 million as part of a lawsuit settlement. He donated the settlement to an organization for public defenders.