Published 18:36 IST, June 20th 2020
Damian Lillard shares emotional story of Oscar Grant, who was killed by police in 2009
Damian Lillard shared the story of Oscar Grant who was killed by Oakland cops in 2009. The movie 'Fruitvale station' was based on Oscar Grant's murder.
The ongoing civil unrest in America has reached week number four now. Protests continue to rage on across various states in the country over the innumerable cases of police brutality and racially motivated murders. Hollywood celebrities, NBA and NFL stars, along with politicians (including POTUS Donald Trump) have voiced their opinion on the ongoing protests. Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard was also seen at one of these peaceful protests earlier this month. Lillard recently watched a movie based on the life of Oscar Grant, the youth who was killed by a cop in 2009 and spoke about the issue.
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Who is Oscar Grant?
Damian Lillard Oscar Grant connection
In a recent interview with Yahoo Sports, Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard revealed how he personally knew Oscar Grant, the individual based on whom the movie ‘Fruitvale Station’ was made. After watching the movie, Damian Lillard was quoted saying, "He went to high school and played on the same football team as my brother. I used to always be around my brother at the high school and crossed paths with [Grant]. We were on the bus at the same time. We were always in the same areas. It was nerve-wracking to see in the movie how they had everything down pat and how they eventually went through the day in the life of a lot of people, a lot of young men in Oakland.”
Who is Oscar Grant? Damian Lillard Oscar Grant connection
In addition to this, the Trail Blazers hooper insisted that ‘Fruitvale Station’ wasn’t just a fictional movie but the actual reality of some young African-Americans living in Oakland. The NBA star added, "At the end, it was breathtaking how [Grant] kept saying after he was shot that he had a daughter, you see how friends were [helpless] and see how his family came together. This wasn't just a movie. This really happened. At that point, I kind of sat in my seat and was like, 'Wow.'"
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Who is Oscar Grant? Damian Lillard Oscar Grant connection
Oscar Grant III was an African-American citizen who was killed on New Year's Day in 2009 by an Oakland police officer named Johannes Mehserle at Fruitvale Station. Peaceful protests immediately erupted in Oakland after the tragic death of the 22-year old youngster which resulted in Mehserle being handed a two-year sentence, minus time served. He was let out of jail in June 2011 after serving 11 months in prison.
Image Courtesy: Damian Lillard Twitter
Updated 18:36 IST, June 20th 2020