Former President Barack Obama praised the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night for “standing up for what they believe in” when they boycotted their own playoff game after the shooting of Jacob Blake sparked unrest in Wisconsin.
I commend the players on the @Bucks for standing up for what they believe in, coaches like @DocRivers, and the @NBA and @WNBA for setting an example. It’s going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values. pic.twitter.com/rUGETgAt7P
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 27, 2020
The Bucks are just one team in the professional sports world sitting out on their games to protest the Blake shooting — six other NBA teams have decided not to play, along with some games in Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the WNBA being canceled.
Mr. Blake, a Black man, was shot seven times in the back by Kenosha Police Department Officer Rusten Sheskey, who is White, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said.
Mr. Blake’s children were reportedly in the car at the time. His lawyer said Mr. Blake has been paralyzed from the waist down, but it’s unclear if the condition is permanent.
The Wisconsin DOJ said Wednesday that Mr. Blake had a knife in the car.
The incident has reignited national attention to protests against excessive use of force from police and racial inequality that broke out earlier in May after George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, both Black, died in encounters with police.
