The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly boycotting game five of the National Basketball Association playoffs against the Orlando Magic to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, by police in their home state of Wisconsin.
https://twitter.com/TaylorRooks/status/1298713355448803330?s=20
“We’re tired of the killings and the injustice,” Bucks point guard George Hill said.
According to reports, the Magic conducted a pre-game warm-up on the court, but the Bucks did not. When the scheduled game time approached, the Bucks also failed to come onto the court from their locker room, where they were reportedly trying to “reach the attorney general of Wisconsin, Josh Kaul.”
Bucks players are in locker room attempting to reach the attorney general of Wisconsin, Josh Kaul, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Magic players are leaving the arena soon — not accepting the Bucks‘ forfeit.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 26, 2020
An eyewitness told the Associated Press he heard police officers encountering Blake during a domestic disturbance call Sunday shout “Drop the knife!” before shooting him seven times in the back as he reached into his car. Before Blake headed to the car, he and police had been physically wrestling on the ground, according to police audio recordings and a bystander’s video.
After the bystander video circulated on social media, two Wisconsin cities spent three days engulfed in rioting that included shootings of three people, two of whom are dead, according to police. Today, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers reversed his resistance to President Trump’s offers of National Guard assistance to quell the rioting. Blake is reportedly in stabilized condition at a hospital.
The Bucks game, held at Disney World in Orlando, was supposed to be the fifth matchup between the two teams for the playoffs. There was no indication from either of the teams or the NBA about the boycott prior to the game. Just hours before game time, the Bucks, the Magic, and the NBA all posted in anticipation of game five.
NBA FANS… Tap to Cheer for your favorite team during today's action! #WholeNewGame
The #NBAPlayoffs continue at 4:00 PM ET on NBA TV, then at 6:30 PM ET on TNT. pic.twitter.com/vNqDThk0yX
— NBA (@NBA) August 26, 2020
https://twitter.com/OrlandoMagic/status/1298681368369659908?s=20
Game 5. Same 5.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 26, 2020
The Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder, however, announced their intent to boycott their fifth playoff game.
Rockets-OKC players are planning to boycott Game 5 of their series, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 26, 2020
LeBron James, a player for the Los Angeles Lakers, tweeted his support of the boycott just minutes after it happened, saying “we demand change.”
FUCK THIS MAN!!!! WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 26, 2020
The NBA recently came under fire after it was discovered that the league facilitated camps in China where “violent abuse of the young players” took place.
