NBA Stars Speech About Gun Violence at 2016 ESPYs

Some of the NBA's biggest stars took the stage at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night to deliver a powerful message about the gun violence and racial profiling epidemics that are sweeping across the country. Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and LeBron James stood side by side as they encouraged the audience packed with professional athletes to "speak up, renounce all violence," and use their influence. "The racial profiling has to stop," Dwyane said while opening the show. "The shoot-to-kill mentality has to stop. Not seeing the value of black and brown bodies has to stop. But also the retaliation has to stop. The endless gun violence in places like Chicago, Dallas, not to mention Orlando, it has to stop. Enough. Enough is enough."

The basketball players' words come just a few weeks after Grey's Anatomy actor Jesse Williams's rousing, memorable speech at the BET Awards that offered similar sentiments about the state of gun violence in America, which LeBron summed up at the conclusion of their time on stage. "We all have to do better. We all feel helpless and frustrated by the violence. That's not acceptable. It's time to look in the mirror and ask ourselves: what are we doing to create change?"