Former President Barack Obama showed his support for NBA and WNBA players who boycotted their games on Wednesday night (August 26) in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake.
Obama took to Twitter to relay his message to the players, who he said were “setting an example.”
"I commend the players on the Bucks for standing up for what they believe in, coaches like Doc Rivers, and the NBA and WNBA for setting an example," he tweeted. "It's going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values."
Jacob Blake, a Black man from Kenosha, Wisconsin, was shot seven times, in front of his three young children, by a police officer while he was attempting to get into his car on Sunday (August 23). The 29-year-old father is now paralyzed from the waist down after the incident.
On Wednesday, the Milwaukee Bucks decided to boycott their playoff game against the Orlando Magic, choosing to walk out ahead of tip-off.
Their walkout led to the NBA calling off three scheduled postseason games. The WNBA followed suit, postponing three of their scheduled games: Washington Mystics vs. Atlanta Dream, Los Angeles Sparks vs. Minnesota Lynx, and Connecticut Sun vs. Phoenix Mercury.
The NBA later released a statement saying they were postponing all playoff games on Wednesday night. "The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association 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 – Bucks vs. Magic, Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers – have been postponed. Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled," read the statement."
While there were talks of the NBA calling off the rest of the season to focus on the racial and social issues going on in the country, the season will reportedly move forward and playoff games will likely resume this weekend.
As for current President Donald Trump, he has not commented on the recent postponements. However, in the wake of the latest social justice issues in America, he has repeatedly bashed NBA players, including LeBron James, and owners for their choice of protests.
Trump has also said that he will boycott the league if players continue to kneel during the national anthem; something he considers to be disrespectful to the flag and the military.
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