NBA stars have called out President Donald Trump for his "cowardly" response to the Black Lives Matter protests.

This comes after the death of George Floyd on May 25. He was an African-American man who passed away after being detained and arrested by American police.

Police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes during the incident, and he has subsequently been fired and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

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One of the most vocal NBA stars on the issue has been Australian basketball star, Ben Simmons, who posted a series of tweets slamming the president's response and calling for a change of direction.

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Simmons tweeted on Tuesday: "This is not what a leader looks like. His actions and cold words are cowardly. Do not allow these messages of hate and divide draw your attention away from the REAL goal of UNITY and EQUALITY which is achieved through LOVE and COMPASSION.

"Let me be clear. I will ALWAYS fight for equality and unity. If you call yourself a fan of me but do not agree with EQUALITY and UNITY for everyone then I don't want or need you in my corner."

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He continued: "We are ALL accountable & we shouldn’t have to revisit tragedies like George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery time & time again. Enough is enough."

Simmons also posted a picture of himself wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with Floyd's last words: "I can't breathe."

Gregg Popovich. [[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]

Similarly, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has slammed President Trump, describing him as a "deranged idiot".

In an interview with The Nation, Popovich said Trump's response to the riots made the him a "coward".

"He's not just divisive. He's a destroyer,” Popovich said. "To be in his presence, makes you die. He will eat you alive for his own purposes.

"I'm appalled that we have a leader who can't say, 'Black lives matter.' That's why he hides in the White House basement. He is a coward. He creates a situation and runs away like a grade-schooler. Actually, I think it's best to ignore him. There is nothing he can do to make this better because of who he is; a deranged idiot."

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr also mocked the Trump for holding up a Bible outside a local church.

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This comes after Anonymous tweeted President Trump last night calling for his resignation.

A list of resources to support the Black Lives Matter movement can be found, here.

NBA stars call out President Donald Trump for ‘cowardly’ response to protests