LeBron James, other NBA players support walkout over shooting of Jacob Blake

Kneeling wasn’t enough. So NBA players walked off the court. 

The Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their game with the Orlando Magic on Wednesday to protest police violence after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

The teams were set to play Game 5 of the first round of the NBA playoffs. Soon after the Magic players left the court, the NBA announced the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trailblazers, and Los Angeles Lakers would not play their Wednesday games as well. The Magic later released a statement in support of the boycott. 

For Bucks forward Sterling Brown, it’s personal. Two years ago, after coming out of a Walgreens, Milwaukee police officers stepped on his ankle and tased him over a bad parking job. One of the officers on the scene later joked about it on Facebook

After video of the arrest was released, he refused to settle with the city. 

“I want more than just money,” he wrote last month in The Players’ Tribune. “I want cops to show respect and to be held accountable when they step out of line, especially in the neighborhoods they are supposed to serve and protect every day.”

Bucks and Magic players did not comment on the protest. Alex Lasry, SVP of the Bucks, tweeted in support of the team’s players.

Current and former NBA players, including LeBron James, shared their frustration and support on Twitter. 

The walk-off came a day after Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers shared an emotional message about police violence with the press. The NBA said the Wednesday games would be rescheduled.





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