Bucks co-owners Marc Lasry, Wes Edens, and Jamie Dinan have put out a statement in response to their players’ decision not to play Game 5 of their first-round series against Orlando on Wednesday. Within the statement, the Bucks co-owners said they “fully support” the players’ decision.
“Although we did not know beforehand, we would have wholeheartedly agreed with them,” Lasry, Edens, and Dinan said. “The only way to bring about change is to shine a light on the racial injustices that are happening in front of us. Our players have done that and we will continue to stand alongside them and demand accountability and change.”
In addition to the Bucks, ownership groups of other teams that were scheduled to play have put out statements of their own. The Magic‘s team owners said they “stand united” with the Bucks and the rest of the league in “condemning bigotry, racial injustices, and the unwarranted use of violence by police against people of color.” Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said she stands behind the players “today and always” (Twitter link).
All of today’s games were ultimately postponed, but it was the Bucks’ decision to boycott that created a domino effect. The Bucks’ efforts to raise awareness and enact change resulted in the team getting on a conference call with Wisconsin attorney general Josh Kaul and lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes this evening, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Milwaukee players also appeared outside their locker room tonight, where Sterling Brown and George Hill read a prepared statement to media members. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) provided video of that statement.
“We are calling for justice for Jacob Blake and demand the officers be held accountable,” Hill said. “For this to occur, it is imperative for the Wisconsin State Legislature to reconvene after months of inaction and take up meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability, brutality, and criminal justice reform.”
Players at the Orlando campus are expected to meet within the next hour to discuss potential next steps. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), coaches in the bubble have also been invited to attend that meeting. NBPA executive director Michele Roberts will also be in attendance, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
I wonder would they boycott a game if they were down in the NBA finals and risked forfeit. Seriously doubt it! Therefore while this is a good sentiment it still has a hint of being disingenuous. A game 5 versus a team in the first round who poses no threat is no point at all. Boycott the rest of the season and dont come back to NBA until legit reform is established since you all are about that change!
Player should take an 80% pay cut to lower basketball overhead for teams, and allow EVERYONE to attend games. If we’re all about that equality.
You must have been born yesterday to believe that ticket prices would go down one cent even if players took a paycut. Owners would happily keep prices the same and make that extra money.
Then the players would have an actual fight with some legs. Ask to collectively bargain a ticket price–to–payroll scale in the next CBA.
I know it won’t happen, you probably know it won’t happen, but the players can show the underserved that their words come from a place of actual caring and they’re putting non-tax write off money where their mouth is. Willing to take less is simply willing to take less.
As it is right now, players don’t give a **** about anyone that can’t be folded into a slogan, or a write off at tax time.
And that’s real.
If one team takes the court and warms up but the other does not then it should be a forfeit
No team is going to take a cheap win like that, even in the playoffs, even in the NBA Finals.
i think in the case where there is a cause like this they wolnt, but to say that would be the case in any situation is jumping to conclusions.
Fair enough.
So the bucks are the judge and jury in this case? They are convicting an officer of wrongdoing without an investigation. Something doesn’t seem right about that
This is some serious 5th grade logic. I have a feeling you are older than 12 tho. The education in this country is abysmal.
If you disagree, make your point without attacking. You are part of the problem.
Someone is dead because he was shot 7 times without a trial but ok sure the real crime is skipping a game I guess
He died?
Someone is dead because he:
showed up to where he wasn’t suppose to be and resisted arrest after telling people he had a knife and a knife was supposedly found on the floorboard of the car he was going into.
He isn’t dead tho. Kinda makes all your other facts seem kinda suspect.
fake news. A man is paralysed and fighting for his life because a WHITE officer decided he would be the judge jury and executioner of an innocent black man when the situation didn’t warrant that whatsoever.
Innocent black man???? I’m sorry… did I miss something? Were you there? Please explain innocent….. there was an arrest warrant issued for this so called “innocent” man. And he went for a knife in his car…. Get your facts straight.
Why didn’t he follow police instructions if he was innocent?
I see you’re point but he isn’t dead.
I’ve watched that video several times. It does appear he is leaning forward after he opens the door. Like he “might” be reaching for something. But I still don’t get the shooting. They are 3 feet behind him approaching the car. If you are worried he has a weapon in there or he’s unfit to drive and his kids are in there, then jump on the dudes back and take him down. Shoot him in the calf. I know if you are 30’ apart you can’t try to do that. But he’s holding on to the guys shirt. Put your gun in his calf and shoot. Not 7 times in the back. That, I don’t get.
Agreed. A well-trained officer does not shoot 7 times in the back. We need better from our law enforcement.
What a disgrace. They had the floor to make any statements or do whatever they want on camera for their cause.
The NBA is 70% Black American. They can do whatever the F$&? they wanna do. It’s their race they are killing.
Just when I thought it was safe to go back to sports. It’s only one day. I agree they have big platform. To get all this conversation going. TNT, ESPN, NBATV . Should all have news shows to vent their frustration and views. Show us the history of systemic racism. NBA has a platform to pump up the volume. So
“Bring the Noise” .
Forfeit a game, please! What men.
What did these guys forfeit when children were gunned down in cold blood in the past weeks,
After kids getting shot, could James enjoy a win?
Pathetic!
Kids have died somewhere every day since LeBron started playing in the NBA. LeBron James played in the NBA while American soldiers were dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. Could he enjoy it then? There is always something happening in the world that is sad.
If you can’t do your job because of it, then quit and use your time and resources to make the world better. I would respect anyone in the NBA that did that. That is what Pat Tillman did. The NFL went on without him, but he did what he felt was right. He didn’t force the NFL to stop playing. I don’t agree at all with ruining the NBA just because bad things happened.
Seems like a good time to remember how two years ago, Sterling Brown was the victim of police misconduct.
Don’t forget Thabo Sefalosha. He actually was severely hurt in a police incident.