British Royalty and American Royalty Watch King James
09 Dec, 2014
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge held royal court at their first-ever NBA basketball game in New York on Monday night, amid ongoing protests in the city over the death in a police chokehold of Eric Garner.
William and Kate were feted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn where they watched LeBron “King” James carry the Cleveland Cavaliers to victory against the Brooklyn Nets. The royals also shook hands with Beyoncé and Jay Z.
Prince William, second in line to the British throne, channeled his inner Brooklyn hipster, sporting a blue and red plaid shirt, while Kate mastered courtside chic in a grey coat by American designer Tory Burch, skinny jeans and heels.
As they made their way to Brooklyn for the game, protesters held a “die-in” outside the Barclays Center in a continuing protest at a grand jury’s decision not to indict a police officer implicated in the death of Garner, an asthmatic man subjected to a chokehold as officers tried to arrest him for selling untaxed cigarettes.
Unrest has simmered in the background of the Cambridges’ high profile three-day trip to a city that is still dealing with the fallout from the decision.
In a show of solidarity with the protesters, James warmed up in a T-shirt that read “I Can’t Breathe”, Garner’s final words before he died.
The trend began with Chicago basketball star Derrick Rose who wore the shirt before a game on Saturday. The next day James said he wanted one. Nets guard Jarrett Jack fulfilled that request on Monday, handing out the T-shirts to players on both teams, which they wore during the warm-up.
The duke and duchess attended the game to mark a newly forged partnership between their royal foundation and the NBA. The NBA will support the charitable foundation’s work with United For Wildlife and the Coach Core programme, which aims to encourage a new generation of sports coaches.
During the first half of the game the couple dined with NBA executives and basketball elite in a private boardroom at the arena to celebrate the partnership.
The NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo, Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder and two-time All-Star Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks were named ambassadors to the duke’s United for Wildlife organization.
After a hectic day spent shuttling between DC and NYC William chatted breezily with the newly appointed ambassadors and his wife.
Standing next to Mutombo, who towers at 7ft 2in, for a photograph, William quipped: “At last I’m standing next to someone who’s taller than me.”
Posing for a picture with his wife, the duke grabbed up a basketball and remarked: “I think I should be spinning this on my finger.”
The duke asked NBA commissioner Adam Silver: “Who should we support?”
“Both teams,” the commissioner replied diplomatically.
As they left the boardroom Kate playfully chided her husband: “You’re going to pretend you can actually score.”
After dinner the duke and duchess made their way to their front row seats to catch the second half. The royal couple sat next to Mutombo, an eight-time NBA all-star.
The evening crescendoed with the long-speculated meeting between Beyonce and Jay Z and Kate and William midway through the third quarter. They shook hands and appeared to exchange pleasantries while fans shoved their phones in the air trying to capture the moment. Jay Z was involved in bringing the Nets to Brooklyn from New Jersey and the pair regularly attend games.
During a brief pause in the game an announcer welcomed the couple on the loudspeaker and the cameras zoomed in on the couple who smiled sheepishly and waved.
James said before the game that it was “an honor” to play before a royal audience. The Cavaliers beat the Nets 110-88. Kate and William were afterwards admitted to the court of King James when they were invited to meet basketball’s biggest superstar.
Down in the Vaults, a basement hospitality suite, they met Lebron James, the Cavaliers’ star player, who had brought them a gift-wrapped box of cupcakes from his home town, Akron, Ohio.
It had been a day of firsts for the royal couple and they declared themselves impressed by their first NBA game. “It was good, really good. Our first time,” the prince told the 6ft 8in 29-year-old star after a day of contrasts. “I went to the White House for the first time. It was quite daunting.”
James asked William what size shoes he wore. “Half the size of yours,” he replied, pointing at his huge feet.
The superstar also presented the couple with Cavaliers jerseys, a maroon one for Prince George that said “George 1” on it and the other, in yellow, that read “Cambridge 7.”
Kate held the yellow and William the maroon, as James posed for pictures withe couple, putting his arm around the Duchess’s shoulder – something of a breach of royal etiquette.
the guardian
Images USA Today
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