The NBA Athletes’ Strike For Jacob Blake Can Have Rippling Impact: Experts
On Wednesday, the Milwaukee Bucks NBA team didn’t take the floor for their scheduled game against the Orlando Magic. It was in direct response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Shortly after, the team released a statement, demanding an audience with Wisconsin’s attorney general to discuss justice for Blake, and action from the wider league.
And while the Bucks were the first to walk out, the sentiment was brewing amongst players that something had to be done.
For teams who have been wearing jerseys emblazoned with messages like “Black Lives Matter” and “Respect Us” since the start of their bubble season, signs weren’t enough.
“At the end of the day, if we’re gonna sit here and talk about making change then at some point we’re gonna have to put our nuts on the line and actually put something up to lose, rather than just money or visibility,” Toronto Raptors player Fred VanVleet said bluntly Wednesday’s walkout.
“I think everybody’s at the point of sitting up and saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ and sitting up there and having these discussions and Zoom calls… and putting apparel on — that’s not getting the job done. Taking a knee for the anthem, that’s not getting the job done. It’s starting to get washed out,” Raptors player Norman Powell said.
After the Bucks walked, other NBA teams, including the Raptors did too. Then the WNBA. Then MLB players. And finally, the revised NHL playoffs were halted Thursday — thanks to a push from the league’s newly formed Hockey Diversity Alliance.
As leagues scramble to recoup lost revenue and reschedule games, the conversation around police brutality is growing, spurred on by celebrity athletes like LeBron James and Evander Kane. But the conversation is also growing around how sports exploit Black bodies.
