On Wednesday afternoon, NBA players decided to boycott their three scheduled playoff games and are considering ending their season, due to their frustration and anger over the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake.
Later that day, NBA veteran and analyst Kenny Smith, walked off the set of the NBA on TNT, to show solidarity with the players.
According to the Associated Press:
The dramatic series of moves began when the Bucks — the NBA’s team from Wisconsin, a state rocked in recent days by the shooting by police officers of Jacob Blake, a Black man — didn’t take the floor for their playoff game against the Magic. The teams were set to begin Game 5 of their series shortly after 4 p.m., with the Bucks needing a win to advance to the second round.
Players had been discussing boycotting games in the bubble after the shooting of Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. More discussions were scheduled Wednesday, but even before that the Bucks apparently decided they would act.
‘Some things are bigger than basketball,’ Bucks senior vice president Alex Lasry tweeted. ‘The stand taken today by the players and (the organization) shows that we’re fed up. Enough is enough. Change needs to happen. I’m incredibly proud of our guys and we stand 100% behind our players ready to assist and bring about real change.’
ESPN NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski reported that indeed, the NBA’s entire season is in jeopardy.
The NBA is nearly two months into its restart.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn