Nic Natanui gives perfect take on 'all lives matter' issue

West Coast Eagles star Nic Natanui has hit back in perfect style at the social commentary around the 'Black Lives Matter' movement.

Across the United States and other parts of the world, demonstrators have been rallying in protest against the death of African-American man George Floyd, at the hands of a white police officer.

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Floyd died on May 25 in Minneapolis after the police officer - who has since been charged with third-degree murder - pressed his knee into the 46-year-old's neck while he was handcuffed and saying that he couldn't breathe.

The shocking incident has sparked a wave of action around the world, with demonstrators calling for an end to racial discrimination and police brutality.

The tragedy has once against thrust the ‘black lives matter’ movement to the forefront of social commentary, but also exposed a problematic counter argument.

Social media has been inundated with the message that “all lives matter” but as Naitanui explains, shifting the focus off the black struggle is a huge part of the problem.

Naitanui took to Twitter to explain the importance of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement and why it is different from people using the tag ‘All Lives Matter’.

“All love from my end but “Saying all lives matter is like going to a cancer fundraiser and saying there are other diseases”.

“Yes every life matters and is of equal importance/significance but right now we are highlighting black lives,” he wrote.

“That’s just my opinion as a black man.”

Natanui’s argument has been put into sharp focus in the United States, where a longtime basketball caller was stood down after sparking controversy with an “all lives matter” tweet.

Sports caller sacked over ‘all lives matter’ furore

Grant Napear quit his post at the Sacramento Kings after being fired from his radio gig over an inflammatory response to a tweet from DeMarcus Couins.

Napear was suspended from his radio show on Monday following a Twitter confrontation that involved Cousins and fellow former Kings Chris Webber and Matt Barnes.

Sports 1140 KHTK announced on Tuesday that Napear had been fired from his radio gig.

A storm of controversy erupted when Cousins asked Napear about his thoughts on the "Black Lives Matter" movement that supporters around the world have been rallying around, following the death of African-American man George Floyd by a white police officer.

Napear responded with an all-caps response declaring that “ALL LIVES MATTER”, prompting backlash from Cousins, Webber and Barnes - the latter of whom labelled him a “closet racist”.

“All Lives Matter” is a retort frequently used to shut down the concerns of black Americans advocating against police brutality, making Napear's comment deeply disturbing for many people.

Napear pleads ignorance to meaning of tweet

Napear, 60, had been the Kings play-by-play announcer since 1988.

He pleaded ignorance to the insensitivity of his statement in a Monday interview with Sacramento Bee columnist Marcos Bretón.

“I’m not as educated on BLM as I thought I was,” Napear said.

“I had no idea that when I said ‘All Lives Matter’ that it was counter to what BLM was trying to get across.

“I’m in pain. I’m 60 years old and I still have a lot to learn.”

Napear also issued a response on Twitter Sunday night.

with Yahoo Sports US