Wednesday’s playoff games inside of the NBA Campus in Orlando, Fla. were postponed due to a player-powered strike as the fallout of the Jacob Blake shooting is felt across the nation. The news emerged shortly before 4:00 PM Eastern time when members of the Milwaukee Bucks refused to warm up before Game 5 of their playoff game against the Orlando Magic. Later, the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder met about postponing their game later in the evening. Lastly, the nightcap between the Portland Trail Balzers and the Los Angeles Lakers was called off.
Here is the official announcement by the NBA:
“The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to not take the floor today for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, today’s three games – Bucks vs. Magic, Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers – have been postponed. Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled.”
Blake was shot seven times Sunday in Kenosha, Wisconsin in an altercation with police. The shooting left Blake paralyzed and spawned protests not only in Kenosha but around the nation as America has another reckoning with deteriorating race relations and racially-motivated police brutality.
The players issued a statement:
“The past four months have shed a light on the ongoing racial Injustices facing our African American communities. Citizens around the country have used their voices and platforms to speak out against these wrongdoings. Over the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin, we’ve seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, and the additional shooting of protestors. Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be basketball.”
Several NBA stars have voiced their support of the Bucks decision. Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz says, “We demand change! Salute Bucks!”
WE DEMAND CHANGE! SALUTE @Bucks ✊🏾🙏🏾🗣
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) August 26, 2020
LeBron James said, “F*** this man! We demand change! Sick of it!”
FUCK THIS MAN!!!! WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 26, 2020
Milwaukee Bucks ownership has issued the following statement:
“We fully support our players and the decision they made. Although we do not know beforehand, we would have wholehartedly agreed with them. The only way to bring about change is to shine a light on the racial injustices that are happening in front of us. Our players have done that and we will continue to stand alonggside them and demand accountability and change.”
The boycott was a bold escalation of how players have demonstrated for social causes, police brutality, and systemic racism since the death of George Floyd on May 25th. The Orlando Magic later released a statement:
“The DeVos Family and the Orlando Magic organization fully supports Magic players who have chosen to leverage their professional platform to send a peaceful and powerful message condemning bigotry, racial injustice and the unwarranted use of violence by police, especially against people of color. We are proud of the positive impact our players have made and join with them in the belief that sports can bring people together – bridging divides and promoting inclusion, equality, diversity and unity. We know this is not about the military, the men and women who serve honorably to keep our communities safe for all, or those who have paid the ultimate price to provide freedom, including freedom of expression. We’re confident the entire Magic family has immense respect for these entities and individuals. This is about coming together to end racism once and for all. We are committed to walking alongside our players – today and in the many days ahead – in the pursuit of lasting and impactful change.”
Finally, the Bucks players are calling for the police officers involved to be held accountable.
“For this to occur, it is imperative for the Wisconsin State Legislature to reconvene after months of inaction and take up meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability, brutality, and criminal justice reform. We encourage all citizens to educate themselves, take peaceful and responsible action, and remember to vote on Nov. 3.”
