9:09 AM
On Tuesday night, George Floyd's alma mater in Texas will play a game against a Minneapolis high school in honor of George Floyd.
The first George Floyd Jr. Memorial Holiday Classic will feature a game between Minneapolis North High School and Jack Yates Senior High School, both of which are 6 miles from where Floyd was murdered.
Floyd's funeral was held on the campus of North Central University. The Minnesota Black Basketball Coaches Association organized the event.
After a video showing Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck went public, he was convicted of murder and manslaughter. Protests were held across the country and in the sports world. Chauvin was sentenced to over two years in prison.
Khalid El-Amin was a star on the Minneapolis North team that won three state titles. The head coach of Minneapolis North said he was excited for his players to honor Floyd's name.
"Bringing Floyd's high school is a great way of paying tribute to him in this first annual event," said McKenzie. We tend to forget about these kinds of incidents and forget about them again, so before we know it, it's all happening again. We want to keep the story of what happened in Minneapolis with George Floyd in people's minds.
The trip has been emotional for the head coach at Yates. He grew up with Floyd and his family. Barlow said Floyd's mother would cook breakfast for him on summer mornings and he loved hanging out with his brothers. Floyd was admired by the local community for his athletic ability.
Barlow will visit the site of Floyd's death before the game on Tuesday.
He said that the game is an opportunity for his players to represent Floyd's hometown and enjoy a new city. They saw snow for the first time on Monday.
Barlow said that the game will bring two communities together.
Barlow said George Floyd was one of his friends. This is a big deal for me as well. He was one of the first guys I saw getting an athletic scholarship. This is something that is very personal for me. I'm happy to be able to represent the community and George.
Everybody is coming together, we're playing a game in his honor. Basketball is being used as a tool to come together.
