LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul’s Powerful Message

NBA all-stars, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and LeBron James opened up the 2016 ESPYs Wednesday night with a powerful message about police brutality and gun violence in America. Recent tragedies inspired the men to speak up to help put an end to senseless violence. The superstars’ words were poignant, yet full of hope.

Carmelo started it off by saying that violence and racial divides are not new, but the “urgency to create change is at an all-time high.” Chris Paul recalled athletes like Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali who stood up for what they believed. Dwyane Wade then asked the superstars in the crowd to follow in those legends’ footsteps, saying, “As athletes, it’s on us to challenge each other to do even more than what we already do in our own communities.”

LeBron ended the speeches by echoing his former Miami Heat teammate’s sentiment, saying that all athletes need to invest time in their communities in order to help change them. The 2016 NBA Finals MVP then finished with, “We all have to do better.”

The ESPYs aren’t the only awards show this year to open with a powerful message about gun violence. See how the Tony Awards honored the victims of the Orlando shootings:

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