The Milwaukee Bucks Start a Chain Reaction of Strikes Among Athletes Following Incidents of Police Brutality
NBA team Milwaukee Bucks have gone on strike after Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot by police seven times in their home state of Wisconsin.
Chaos has swept the country after Blake was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha, WI police officer on Sunday while his three children watched from the backseat of their car. The encounter was caught on video and posted to social media. Blake survived the shooting but is feared to never regain his ability to walk.
The players of the Milwaukee Bucks decided to stage a strike and did not show up for their Game 5 playoff game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. The team owners said they were not aware the strike would take place, but they are in full support of the players’ decision.
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Tensions have risen in the town of Kenosha after an armed white man shot and killed two people that were out protesting the shooting of Blake earlier this week, and professional athletes are fed up with police brutality and racial injustice.
FUCK THIS MAN!!!! WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 26, 2020
The NBA postponed Game 5 of each playoff series and the WNBA announced they will be postponing their games as well. Both NBA and WNBA players have been showing their support for Black Lives Matter and fighting racial inequality for months following the shooting of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police in her Louisville home back in March.
The NBA has postponed all playoff games. The players initiated this with the Bucks boycotting their game vs the Magic. NBA & WNBA players have been committed to social justice. They will not shut up and dribble, they demand change #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/gHiP1fq84F
— Mychal (@mychal3ts) August 26, 2020
The MLB has also expressed their support of some players choosing to sit out games and other athletes such as LeBron James and Naomi Osaka are also supporting the movement. Osaka even announced she will not play in the upcoming semis of the Southern Open following the shooting of Blake.
The strikes have gained mixed reactions from sports watchers, but many fans are proud of their favorite athletes for stepping up and using their platforms to create change. With the ongoing pandemic, racial injustice, and natural disasters all occurring simultaneously across the country, the future is uncertain and many are feeling discouraged, but they’re still hopeful that change will come.
I don’t think people realize how historic today was in the NBA, WNBA, MLB, and MLS. Nothing like this has ever happened before.
So proud of the @Bucks and @Brewers 🦌
— Jackson (@J_Fuchs_) August 27, 2020
The NBA and WNBA have not yet released statements on when the playoff games will continue. In the meantime, be sure to do your research on how to support Black Lives Matter and combat racism in your communities.
Writer | Tweet me @itsjadak
