LeBron James' 'I can't breathe' T-shirt the latest display of politics on the playing field

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James on Monday night during pregame warmups wore an "I can't breathe" T-shirt, referring to Eric Garner, who died after a New York police officer placed him in a chokehold during an arrest for selling loose cigarettes. The shirt, one of several featuring the slogan that have been seen around the league in recent days after a grand jury declined to indict the officer last week, is just one in a long history of political statements made by athletes on the playing field. Here are some others.

During the Chicago Bears 1985-86 Super Bowl championship season, Jim McMahon became notorious for his headbands after the league fined him for displaying an Adidas logo in violation of rules that prohibited players from displaying corporate logos. During the Super Bowl, the "funky QB" wore a headband with the phrase POW-MIA to raise awareness of prisoners of war and "JDF-CURE" for juvenile diabetes.

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