LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – The Milwaukee Bucks responded to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man from Wisconsin, by refusing to take the court Wednesday afternoon for their NBA playoff game against the Orlando Magic.
An hour later, the NBA postponed two more playoff games scheduled for Wednesday night, plunging its ambitious restart at Walt Disney World amid the coronavirus pandemic into chaos and uncertainty. The postponed games were first-round playoff matchups between the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers. All three games will be rescheduled.
NBA and WNBA players have long been at the forefront of protests against racism and police brutality, but especially this year, following the police killings of George Floyd, a Black man from Minnesota, and Breonna Taylor, a Black woman from Kentucky.
Nevertheless, the boycott marked an extraordinary escalation in the athletes’ protests—a move that was virtually unprecedented in the league’s history. It was quickly followed by the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds, who decided not to play their Major League Baseball game scheduled for Wednesday night in Wisconsin. The players for the W.N.B.A.’s Washington Mystics arrived Wednesday evening for their game against the Atlanta Dream, wearing T-shirts featuring Jacob Blake.
On Sunday, police in Kenosha, Wis., shot 29-year-old Blake several times in the back as he was trying to get into his car.
Since then, many NBA players have openly debated the wisdom of continuing to play, wondering whether the platform provided by the league’s return amplified their message—or, rather, drew attention to the broader social justice movement.
The first of these players was George Hill of Milwaukee, who on Monday expressed his frustration at having to play amid the social upheaval across the country.
«To be honest, we shouldn't even have come to this damn place,» Hill said. «I think coming here just took the focus away from what the real issues are.»
A meeting to discuss the next steps for the players from the 13 teams still at Disney World was scheduled for Wednesday evening, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.
«We weren’t informed of the decision in advance, but we’re happy to stand in solidarity with Milwaukee, Jacob, and the entire NBA community,» said Michael Carter-Williams of Orlando. «Change is coming.»
Players from the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors were already in the midst of discussions about boycotting their team’s playoff game on Thursday. When asked about the three games scheduled for Thursday, a league spokesperson said that no decision had yet been made regarding the upcoming schedule.
The decision by the Brewers and the Reds—in a league that has generally been slower than others to respond to social issues—came after meetings between players from both teams. The words «JUSTICE EQUALITY NOW» appeared on several scoreboards at Miller Park as some players spoke with each other on the field.
«It’s a huge platform,» Josh Hader, the Brewers« relief pitcher, told reporters about the Bucks» boycott early Wednesday afternoon. “This is a moment when we really can’t stay silent.”
The NBA has been operating out of Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, since July 7, when 22 of the league’s 30 teams began residing in the league’s «bubble,» designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The league had suspended its season on March 11 due to the pandemic.
The Orlando players were already on the court warming up for Wednesday’s 4:00 p.m. game, but the Bucks players refused to join them for Game 5 of the first-round playoff series. The Orlando players ultimately decided to leave the court a little less than four minutes before tip-off. The three referees for the game were quick to follow suit.
While the Bucks players remained in their locker room for more than two hours after the game started, the Magic players began boarding their team bus around 4:40 p.m.
Players from both teams largely declined requests for interviews.
«We demand change,» Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James said on Twitter, spelling it out in full. «I'm sick of it.»
After players voiced their opinions so strongly, the league decided not to enforce its nearly 40-year-old rule requiring players to stand for the national anthem when players from the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans take a knee to play thethe anthem before the league’s first official game on July 30. Since then, both teams have taken a knee during the national anthem at every game, with only a few players and staff members choosing to stand. Many players and coaches have also used media interviews to speak out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Alex Lasry, a vice president of the Bucks and the son of team co-owner Marc Lasry, said on Twitter: «Some things are more important than basketball. The stance taken today by the players and the organization shows that we’ve had enough. Enough is enough. Change must happen. I’m incredibly proud of our guys, and we stand 100 % behind our players, who are ready to help and bring about real change.».
The Magic said in a statement: «Today, we stand united with the NBA office, the National Basketball Players Association, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the rest of the league in condemning bigotry, racial injustice, and the unjustified use of force by police against people of color.»
James Wagner contributed to this report.
Marc Stein is a sports journalist who specializes in NBA coverage, with occasional forays into soccer and tennis. He spent nearly 15 years at ESPN before joining The Times. @TheSteinLine – Facebook
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