LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, More Comment on Police, Race Relations at ESPYs

LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade opened the 2016 ESPYs with a call to action regarding police reform and gun violence.

— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 14, 2016

— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 14, 2016

— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 14, 2016

— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 14, 2016

MTV.com's Jamil Smith thought the four offered a necessary message:

— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) July 14, 2016

ESPN's Rachel Nichols also praised them:

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) July 14, 2016

Earlier this month, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling died at the hands of police, and a sniper killed five police officers during a peaceful protest in Dallas.

James, Anthony, Paul and Wade weren't the first athletes to address the three events and demand change. The Minnesota Lynx's captains, Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen, wore T-shirts supporting the Black Lives Matter movement:

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) July 9, 2016

Brunson released a statement about what she and her teammates hoped to accomplish, per the Star Tribune's Jim Paulsen and Catherine E. Shoichet and Jill Martin of CNN.com:

ABC News' T.J. Holmes reported ABC didn't originally plan to open the ESPYs with James, Anthony, Paul and Wade on stage but did so at the players' request.