UNITED STATES—All NBA playoff games that were going to take place on Wednesday, August 26 were postponed as a result of players boycotting against racial injustice.
The decision to postpone the games started when the Milwaukee Bucks decided to boycott their playoff game after the shooting of Jacob Blake in the team’s home state of Wisconsin.
The NBA posted the following statement on Twitter: “The NBA and the NBPA today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to not take the floor today for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, today’s three games – MIL-ORL, HOU-OKC and LAL-POR have been postponed. Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled.”
New dates for these games are unknown, and no announcement has been made on the postponement of Thursday games.
“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.”
Blake was shot in the back in Kenosha, Wisconsin as he tried to enter his vehicle. The incident has sparked protests and riots across the country.
President Obama tweeted about the NBA’s decision to postpone their games, writing “I commend the players on the @Bucks for standing up for what they believe in, coaches like @DocRivers, and the @NBA and @WNBA for setting an example. It’s going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values.”
Major League Baseball postponed their games that were scheduled for August 26, including the Cincinnati Reds versus the Milwaukee Brewers, the Seattle Mariners versus the San Diego Padres, and the Los Angeles Dodgers versus the San Francisco Giants.
Written By Amanda Khodabash
