Bucks players refuse to play game in protest of Jacob Blake shooting

Milwaukee Bucks players have left the floor and are refusing to play in today’s playoff game against the Orlando Magic.

The NBA’s best team, including the reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, has decided to boycott the game following the shooting of Jacob Blake, which occurred in their home state of Wisconsin.

The Bucks players made this decision in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin, ultimately deciding that they wouldn't leave the locker room for the start of Game 5 against Orlando. https://t.co/COJ6E0aJLj

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 26, 2020

Game balls are being put away, as the Bucks decide to boycott game 5 against the Magic. pic.twitter.com/Cy32q2CJH7

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) August 26, 2020

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

The boycott was unannounced, with Bucks players leaving the court with 3:56 to go before game time, reports ESPN’s Malika Andrews. The game was supposed to start at 4 pm ET/1 pm PT.

“Some things are bigger than basketball,” Bucks Senior Vice President Alex Lasry announced on Twitter. “The stand taken today by the players and org shows that we’re fed up. Enough is enough. Change needs to happen. I’m incredibly proud of our guys and we stand 100% behind our players ready to assist and bring about real change.”

See also:

The Bucks are the first team to boycott a game, but they won’t be the last.

The other two games on the schedule today — Rockets vs Thunder and Lakers vs Trail Blazers — will be boycotted as well, according to a pair of reports from The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The Lakers and Trail Blazers are sitting Game 5 of series, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.

All three NBA games will not be played as players sit in wake of Jacob Blake shooting.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 26, 2020

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

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 26, 2020

The games will be rescheduled, the NBA announced.

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.

— NBA (@NBA) August 26, 2020

Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics players reportedly met last night to discuss boycotting Game 1 of their series, which is scheduled to begin tomorrow.

Raptors & Celtics players met last night at their hotel about possibly boycotting tomorrow Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and other potential measures in light of the Jacob Blake shooting, a source told @TheUndefeated. Source from both teams says everything on table.

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) August 26, 2020

An unarmed Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Blake was shot seven times by police in front of his three sons and has been left paralyzed.

Raptors players Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell were visibly shaken by what happened yesterday and spoke openly about considering a boycott.

“I was pretty excited [about the series] and then we all had to watch Jacob Blake get shot yesterday,” said VanVleet. “That kind of changes the tone of things and puts things in perspective.”

Powell confirmed a boycott had been talked about among his Raptors teammates.

“There’s a lot of things that are being talked about and how to approach this sensitive issue. I think everybody’s at the point of sitting up and saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ and sitting up there and having these discussions and Zoom calls… and putting apparel on — that’s not getting the job done. Taking a knee for the anthem, that’s not getting the job done.”