The Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday boycotted Game 5 of their first-round NBA playoff series over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Why it matters: The decision comes amid growing outrage over the shooting of Blake on Sunday in Kenosha, 40 miles outside of Milwaukee. Many NBA players decided to participate in the league's coronavirus "bubble" experiment in order to use their platform to bring awareness to social justice issues, including policy brutality against Black people.
- The Bucks, who stayed in their locker room as the game was set to tip off, are just one game away from advancing from their opening-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic.
What they're saying: The team said in a statement on Monday, "The Bucks organization is praying for the recovery of Jacob Blake, who was shot multiple times in the back by a police officer at point-blank range."
- “We stand firmly against reoccurring issues of excessive use of force and immediate escalation when engaging the Black community," the team added.
- “Our organization will continue to stand for all Black lives as we demand accountability and systemic change on behalf of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sylville Smith, Ernest Lacy, Dontre Hamilton, Tony Robinson, Joel Acevedo and countless other victims. We will work to enact policy change so these incidents no longer exist."
- Bucks guard George Hill said on Tuesday that he regrets coming to Florida to play in the series after the shooting: “First of all, we shouldn’t have even came to this damn place, to be honest. I think coming here just took all the focal points off what the issues are.”
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.