Chicago Bulls Star Derrick Rose Wears 'I Can't Breathe' Shirt During Warm-Ups To Support Eric Garner Before Game Against Golden State Warriors

In the second high-profile instance of professional athletes making political statements in support of the protests occurring in St. Louis, Missouri, and New York City, Chicago Bulls star guard Derrick Rose etched his position on the side of support for late New Yorker Eric Garner by wearing a shirt that read "I Can't Breathe" during warm-ups before Saturday, Dec. 6's game against the Golden State Warriors.

Garner died in July in a police chokehold while he was being arrested. A grand jury decided not to indict the police officer in the incident, inspiring protests around the country that echo those for Michael Brown, the 18-year-old young black man who was killed by a police officer this summer in Ferguson, Missouri.

"I Can't Breathe" alludes to Garner's last words, which were captured on video.

ESPN reported that earlier this week NBA legend Magic Johnson said athletes need to participate in social movements.

"They have to get involved socially," Johnson told ESPN Friday. "They have to because it affects them, too. And it affects their families. They grew up in these situations; they must not forget that. They [were] once poor, they went to inner-city schools that didn't have technology or computers, they didn't have good books. See, I went through that whole situation. They went through that as well. A lot of their cousins are still going through that, so they must not forget that. I hope that they would do more."

Last Sunday, five St. Louis Rams players walked out during pre-game introductions mimicking the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" gesture that has become a symbol of the Ferguson protests.

The Chicago Tribune reminded us that Bulls players have a history of getting involved in social issues. The newspaper reported that in 2012 then-Bull Luol Deng strayed from the standard NBA-issued warm-ups to raise awareness of war in his native Sudan.