George Floyd protests: CBA legend Lester Hudson arrested in Memphis protests
- CBA’s second all-time points scorer charged after arrest in hometown on Sunday in protests against death of George Floyd
- Chinese basketball fans send their well wishes and messages of support for Shandong Heroes star and former MVP
Former NBA player and Chinese Basketball Association star Lester Hudson was one of 31 people arrested during protests in Memphis, Tennessee, on Sunday.
The former Cleveland Cavalier was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting official detention and unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon, according to the Memphis Police Department. Protests have raged across US cities in response to the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last week.
Memphis native Hudson, 35, started his NBA career at the Boston Celtics in 2009 before signing for the Memphis Grizzlies a year later but it was in China where he would become a household name and regarded as the top foreign player in the league.
Chinese fans sent their well wishes to Hudson when the news of his arrest was reported on Weibo, while comments on Sina Sport were largely supportive of his involvement in the Black Lives Matter protests.
He first went to the Chinese Basketball Association in 2011 from the Washington Wizards first for the Guangdong Southern Tigers and then the Qingdao Doublestar Eagles before returning to the US.