The Milwaukee Bucks have boycotted their own playoff basketball game in solidarity with Black Lives Matter protestors.
The demonstration comes just days after video emerged showing the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
No Milwaukee Bucks or Orlando Magic players took the court for the start of Game 5. pic.twitter.com/5MYZ85MjWP
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) August 26, 2020
Magic players walking off the court after the Bucks boycott Game 5
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 26, 2020
(via @NBAonTNT)pic.twitter.com/zPcb7NUUbw
The Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics have also discussed potentially boycotting Game 1 of the semifinal series for the Eastern Conference, according to Sportsnet.
The teams are scheduled to start their series on Thursday and are planning to meet again on Wednesday to discuss the potential boycott.
Chris Haynes from Yahoo! Sports' on Wednesday tweeted that the executive committee of the NBA Players Association “is in active discussions with players who are seeking guidance on the logistics of potentially boycotting games.”
Haynes added that on Tuesday players held an assembly for those experiencing emotional trauma after the recent police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisc.
Some people who reached out said that “they’re not in the right frame of mind to play basketball” following a display of "excessive force" by police.
