Athletes across the United States sit out their respective games to put the spotlight on Jacob Blakes' shooting and the Black Lives Matter movement
In 2016, American Football star Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the US National Anthem as an act of protest for the Black Lives Matter movement. Exactly four years later, on 27 August 2020, NBA team Milwaukee Bucks refused to go out of their locker room just before their Game 5 Quarterfinals match against the Orlando Magic.
The team's decision was ultimately influenced by the recent shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who was shot at seven times by a responding officer while he was trying to open the door of his car where his children were seated. Miraculously, Blake is alive and conscious but is paralysed from the waist down.
The shooting incident took place in Kenosha, a neighbouring city to Milwaukee, the Bucks' hometown. In their official statement, Bucks are demanding for measures that will address police brutality and for Jacob Blake to receive the justice he rightfully deserves.
"When we take the court and represent Milwaukee and Wisconsin, we are expected to play at a high level, give maximum effort and hold each other accountable. We hold ourselves to that standard, and in this moment, we are demanding the same from our lawmakers and law enforcement," the statement reads. Bucks is just one game away from securing an Eastern Conference semifinal slot, but that win wouldn't have mattered to the players. "Our focus today cannot be on basketball," they said. Because of the team's decision, all three games that were scheduled last Wednesday were postponed for the time being.