The first display from athletes was when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team wore t-shirts emblazoned with "I can't breathe" during a December 13 game warm-up.[4] Athletes from both the National Football League and National Basketball Association, notably LeBron James, wore clothing printed with "I can't breathe."[5] Following criticism of James, President Barack Obama came to his defense, stating "I think LeBron did the right thing...We forget the role that Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe and Bill Russell played in raising consciousness."[6] In late December, officials from the Fort Bragg Unified School District in Mendocino, California banned athletes from wearing "I can't breathe" t-shirts before a three-day high school basketball tournament, before reversing themselves. The American Civil Liberties Union wrote a letter in support of the students.[7]