Last Wednesday, Giannis Antetokoumnpo walked toward the main arena court. The team’s game against the Orlando Magic was more than two hours away. However, it was before the announcement of the Bucks boycott that sent a shockwave in the sports world.
Instead of practicing before the game, the reigning MVP spent only a couple of minutes in the court. He left it with an indicator that something was about to happen. Milwaukee might be the NBA champions this year, but the impact is not the same as when they refused to play a playoff game.
The cause of the boycott was the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The city was 40 minutes away from Milwaukee. The players felt that they need to take a unified stand by boycotting the game.
Bucks Boycott due to Jacob Blake Shooting
The Milwaukee Bucks knew that no professional team in the US refused to play a game due to social injustice. Although black players from the Celtics missed an exhibition game in 1961, the team still played the game, based on bookie pay per head reports.
Bill Russell posted on Twitter that NBA players moved him for standing up for what is right. During a locker room meeting, the team spoke with Wisconsin government officials. While the locker meeting was ongoing, the NBA canceled two other playoff games last Wednesday.
The player’s union, team owners, NBA coaches, and sponsors supported the teams playing in the bubble. Thus, the initial boycott had a ripple effect throughout the sports world. Aside from the NBA, other leagues followed, including Major League Baseball, tennis, Major League Soccer, and WNBA.
Although skipping games will not stop police brutality, it placed the spotlight on the topic. The playoff will resume. If the Bucks are not sure of winning the title, they are already champions in some people’s eyes.
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