The Milwaukee Bucks put the country, and the world, on notice by opting not to play Wednesday in Game 5 of their series against the Orlando Magic.
The decision comes as a call for change after a Wisconsin police officer horrifically shot Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, seven times in the back, leaving him paralyzed.
Shortly after the Bucks and Magic agreed to boycott their game, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets agreed to sit out of Game 5 of their series. The Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers followed suit, as well.
It has also been reported that there will be no games Thursday, either.
A discussion to boycott games was first brought to light Tuesday by Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet and Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown. It made sense for the Bucks to make the first move, however, as they are the only NBA team from Wisconsin, where the shooting happened.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski also reported the players are holding a meeting at 8pm ET Wednesday to consider how to proceed in the bubble. Among things on the table is the possibility of cancelling the rest of the season to focus on advocating for social justice.
But Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports reported that many players still want to finish the season.
Players originally agreed to restart the season in the bubble knowing they would have a platform to advocate for change, social justice and equality. Guys around the league have consistently called for the arrest of the cops who murdered Breonna Taylor.
LeBron James is working with the Los Angeles Dodgers to make sure people have a place to vote in this year’s controversial election.
Doc Rivers, coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, recently shared his thoughts on the Jacob Blake incident following the team’s Game 5 win against the Dallas Mavericks.
Whether the season will be cancelled remains to be seen. But the collective choice by players to forgo their respective individual games is powerful, nonetheless. The decision not to play isn’t just to draw headlines, it’s because the players actually care about the unjust treatment of Black people in America.
As for the Bucks, they’re taking action into their own hands. This time, going directly to people in power and with authority.
It will be interesting to see what unravels from the phone call and the players meeting Wednesday night. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has yet to put out a statement, but regardless, the NBA and its players continue to be the most progressive professional sports league across the globe.
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