Milwaukee Bucks players have decided to boycott Game 5 of their postseason matchup against the Orlando Magic in protest following the recent shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, ESPN reports.
The team made the decision before their game against the Magic was scheduled to start inside the Orlando bubble. Referees were waiting on the court for both teams to arrive before NBA officials reportedly headed to the Bucks’ locker room to determine what was happening.
NBA personnel could be seen putting away game balls in a tunnel after Bucks players informed the league of their boycott.
Protests and riots have erupted in Kenosha, which is 40 miles outside Milwaukee, after video of police shooting an unarmed Blake on Sunday spread across social media. His father told the Sun-Times that Blake is paralyzed from the waist down and doctors don’t know yet whether the injury will be permanant.
NBA players have been vocal about issues such as racial injustice and police violence in recent years, including wearing messages on the back of their jerseys inside the bubble. Many were reportedly dismayed in recent days after Blake’s shooting.
Bucks guard Sterling Brown, who was arrested and tased by police over a parking violation in a 2018 incident that led to an officer being fired, led “No Racist Police” chants during a protest in Milwaukee following the police killing of George Floyd.
Two more NBA playoff games are scheduled for Wednesday night: Thunder-Rockets and Lakers-Trail Blazers. It’s unclear whether those games will be played as planned, but ESPN reported earlier Wednesday that players on the Raptors and Celtics have discussed boycotting Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series that’s set for Thursday night.
