Police fire on Jacob Blake: the NBA at a standstill after the boycott of the players

Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow

5 mins

The Milwaukee Bucks players have decided to boycott the NBA playoff game they were scheduled to play against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, August 26, in response to police fire against Jacob Blake, an African-American. While the players in the NBA were very involved in these cases of police violence and racism, it is now the rest of the season that is threatened.

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This 2019-2020 season of the National Basketball Association (NBA, the North American basketball championship), already very disturbed by the coronavirus pandemic, will also remain in the annals as one of the most marked by the protest movements that shake the United States. At the end of May, already, the death of George Floyd had mobilized the players en masse. This Wednesday, August 26, it is a new case of police violence against an African-American that causes the suspension of the playoffs in progress.

Already three NBA games postponed, pending further decisions

The decision fell in the evening: the Milwaukee Bucks, who were to play Game 5 of the playoffs against the Orlando Magic, decided to boycott the meeting to protest against the police shootings against Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisonsin, about fifty kilometers from Milwaukee, August 23.

The NBA and the NBPA 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 - MIL-ORL, HOU-OKC and LAL-POR have been postponed. Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled.

The NBA decided, in the process, that the game between the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder and the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers, also scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, would not take place. These matches are "  postponed  ", indicates the NBA, without giving more details on their rescheduling.

While they were expected on the floor of the grounds of Disney World in Orlando - unique place of this end of the season, Covid-19 forces - the Milwaukee Bucks, yet to a victory of a qualification for the semi-finals of the Eastern Conference, did not leave the locker room.

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“  We fully support our players and the decision they made. Although we weren't aware of this in advance, we would have fully agreed with them. The only way to bring about change is to bring to light the racial injustices that take place before us. Our players have done it and we will continue to stand by their side and demand accountability and change,  ”said the owners of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Major League Baseball also ready to boycott

The news of this boycott caused a shock wave in American sport. Despite Donald Trump's anger, many NBA players have taken to kneeling down, like quarterback Colin Kaepernick , at the time of the national anthem, in order to show their support for the fight against racism.

LeBron James, the Lakers superstar, very involved in the fight for civil rights, cracked a pithy tweet: "  Put ***. We are asking for change. We're fed up,  ”he wrote in capital letters, which translate his outburst.

FUCK THIS MAN !!!! WE REQUEST CHANGE. SICK OF IT

US media are talking about an upcoming pivotal meeting between NBA players. Adrian Wojnarowski, journalist for ESPN, ensures that the end of the season is threatened. The NBA referees union has announced its solidarity support for the decision taken Wednesday "  to protest against the unjustified and continuous murder of black men and women by the police  ". “  There are bigger issues in our country than basketball and we hope that will inspire change,  ” he added.

The movement affecting the NBA could spread to other sports. In the United States, several sources assure that the Milwaukee Brewers, major league baseball (MLB) franchise, will also boycott their game scheduled for Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

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• United States
• Racism
• Sports
• Basketball

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