Yesterday, the NBA, MLB, WNBA and MLS postponed evening games after several players held boycotts in protest of the recent shooting of Jacob Blake.
The NBA led the boycott charge when the Milwaukee Bucks refused to come out of their locker room before the start of their scheduled playoff game. Hours before the game, Bucks players George Hill and Sterling Brown made a statement on behalf of the team.
“We are calling for justice for Jacob Blake and demand the officers be held accountable,” Hill said. “For this to occur, it’s imperative for the Wisconsin state Legislature to reconvene after months of inaction and take up meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability, brutality and criminal justice reform.”
A statement released by the owners of the Milwaukee Bucks expressed their support for the players’ decisions. The NBA then decided to postpone three other playoff games that were scheduled for yesterday.
The WNBA soon followed suit and postponed yesterday’s games. Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream made a statement on behalf of the WNBA that said they would not play in solidarity of their “brothers in the NBA.” The Washington Mystics initially walked on to the court wearing shirts that spelled out Jacob Blake’s name and each shirt had six holes in the back to symbolize bullet holes.
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) August 26, 2020
The MLB also postponed three games on Wednesday after players decided to boycott their games.
“There are serious issues in this country,” said Seattle Mariners player Dee Gordon. “For me, and for many of my teammates, the injustices, violence, death and systemic racism is deeply personal. This is impacting not only my community, but very directly my family and friends. Our team voted unanimously not to play tonight.”
The MLB released a statement supporting the players’ decision. Five MLS games were also postponed yesterday.
Simultaneous boycotts by four major sports organizations is unprecedented. They are taking place exactly four years to the day that NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to take a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. Yesterday’s boycotts show how much protesting in sports has evolved since 2016; Kaepernick was ridiculed and eventually blackballed from the NFL for kneeling and many believed that his actions were disrespectful towards the men and women who served in the military. As police brutality and racial injustice continued to be major issues within the United States, however, more and more athletes felt obligated to use their platform to speak up about issues that were important to them.
Though only yesterday’s games were cancelled, some players are debating whether it’s appropriate to resume their respective seasons at all. The Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers voted in an unofficial poll to cancel the remainder of the 2019-2020 NBA season. Players on the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors were already discussing boycotting games prior to the Bucks’ announcement. Some players don’t think that playing their games are appropriate now, as they pull attention away from the current social justice movement.
“We shouldn’t have even come to this damn place to be honest,” George Hill said. “I think coming here just took all the focal points off what the issues are.”
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving shared the same sentiment before the NBA season resumed earlier this summer, but was notoriously ridiculed by fans and the press for making the suggestion.
As tensions around the United States continue to mount amid the shootings of innocent Black people, it should be no surprise when athletes decide to do something drastic to take a stand.
