Continue to Hollywoodlife () SKIP AD
Hollywood Life Logo Image

Hollywood Life

Today's Top Stories

  • Reginae Carter
    See Pics

    Reginae Carter Rocks A Sexy String Bikini & Sarong As She Poses In Swim Campaign

  • Kim Kardashian, Kanye West
    Exclusive

    Kanye West Thinks He ‘Can Get’ Kim Kardashian ‘Back’ After She ‘Realizes What She Is Missing’

  • trampoline
    SHOP

    This Silent Trampoline Gets Your Stamina Up & Burns Calories, Plus It’s On Sale

Hollywood Life
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Celebrity Bios
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Shopping
  • Celebrity News
  • World News
  • Exclusives
  • Politics
  • Celebrity Babies
  • Opinions
ALL NEWS
  • Married To Medicine’s Toya Bush-Harris Dishes On Gizelle Bryant’s Cameo In ‘Transparent’ New Season

  • Olivia Munn Wears Just An Open Top & Bikini Bottoms As She Poses Poolside For Friend’s Birthday

  • Brie Bella Shares The Sweet Ways Birdie, 3, Is Helping With Newborn Baby Brother: She’s A ‘Second Mom’

  • Award Shows
  • At The Movies
  • TV
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Holidays
  • Entertainment Features
  • Podcast
  • Oscar Contenders
ALL ENTERTAINMENT
  • Tammy Amy Slaton

    ‘1000-Lb. Sisters’ Preview: Amy Hopes Gage Is The ‘Motivation’ Tammy Needs To ‘Lose The Weight’

  • Kate Walsh Teases A Return To ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ 14 Years After Leaving: The Show ‘Changed My Life’

  • Tyra Banks Then & Now: From Supermodel To ‘Life-Size’ To ‘DWTS’ Host

  • Taylor Swift
  • Rihanna
  • Selena Gomez
  • Kim Kardashian
  • Kylie Jenner
  • Kendall Jenner
  • Justin Bieber
  • Miley Cyrus
  • Gigi Hadid
  • Khloe Kardashian
  • Jennifer Lopez
  • Angelina Jolie
  • Harry Styles
  • Kourtney Kardashian
ALL CELEBRITY BIOS
  • Married To Medicine’s Toya Bush-Harris Dishes On Gizelle Bryant’s Cameo In ‘Transparent’ New Season

  • Olivia Munn Wears Just An Open Top & Bikini Bottoms As She Poses Poolside For Friend’s Birthday

  • Brie Bella Shares The Sweet Ways Birdie, 3, Is Helping With Newborn Baby Brother: She’s A ‘Second Mom’

  • Fragrance
  • Hair Care
  • Health
  • Makeup
  • Nails
  • Beauty Features
  • Skincare
  • Makeover
  • Diet & Fitness
ALL BEAUTY
  • Kourtney Kardashian Shares Epic Throwback Video Of Her As A Teen With Highlighter Yellow Hair

  • Gigi Hadid Debuts Red Hair Makeover After Dying Her Locks For Fashion Week: Before & After Pics

  • Kylie Jenner Shares Her 30-Minute Treadmill Workout In Rare New Fitness Video

  • Red Carpet
  • Weddings
  • Fashion Features
  • Shopping
ALL FASHION
  • Meghan Markle

    These $28 Leggings Are The Perfect Dupe For Meghan Markle’s Fave Pair

  • Ariana Grande & 17 More Stars Pairing Oversized Shirts With Thigh-High Boots — Pics

  • 9 Stars Wearing Daisy Dukes & Crop Tops: Hailey Baldwin & More

  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk
Next Up

Sarah Harding: 5 Things To Know About The Girls Aloud Singer, 38, Battling Breast Cancer

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Newsletters
  • Search Close

Trending

  • Bonnie Says
  • Celeb Babies
  • TV
  • Celeb Galleries
Search

NewsExpand Menu

  • Celebrity News
  • World News
  • Exclusives
  • Politics
  • Celebrity Babies
  • Opinions
  • Rock The Vote

EntertainmentExpand Menu

  • Entertainment Features
  • TV
  • Award Shows
  • At The Movies
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Podcast
  • At Home With...

BeautyExpand Menu

  • Fragrance
  • Hair Care
  • Health
  • Makeup
  • Nails
  • Skincare
  • Beauty Features
  • Diet & Fitness
  • Shopping

FashionExpand Menu

  • Red Carpet
  • Weddings
  • Fashion Features
  • Shopping

TrendingExpand Menu

  • Bonnie Says
  • TV
  • Celeb Galleries

About UsExpand Menu

  • About Us
  • Writer Bios
  • Scoops, Tips & Corrections
  • Subscribe To Newsletter
  • Contact Us

Celebrity ProfilesExpand Menu

  • Kim Kardashian
  • Kylie Jenner
  • Justin Bieber
  • Selena Gomez
  • Taylor Swift
  • Rihanna
  • Kendall Jenner
  • Miley Cyrus
  • Gigi Hadid
  • Jennifer Lopez
  • Angelina Jolie
Follow Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Newsletters
Alerts & Newsletters
  • Jobs
  • Scoops & Corrections
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • California Privacy Rights
  • AdChoices
  • Data Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
© 2021 Hollywoodlife.com, LLC.
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • LeBron James
See Messages
August 26, 2020 6:19PM EDT

LeBron James Demands Change As Milwaukee Bucks Boycott Playoffs After Jacob Blake Shooting

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dribbles during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 126-117. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is shown against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a call against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo via AP)
Members of the media follow Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) during media day at the NBA basketball team's practice facility Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, in El Segundo, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) View Gallery View Gallery 11 Photos.
Beth Shilliday
Senior Evening Writer
  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk

The Milwaukee Bucks made the unprecedented move of boycotting their playoff game against the Magic in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Now LeBron James and other NBA stars are showing support.

UPDATE (8/26/20 7:58pm ET): The Milwaukee Bucks united as a team to explain why they boycotted their playoff game against the Magic. “The past four months have shined a light on the racial injustices facing our African American community, and citizens around the country who have used their voices to speak out against these wrongdoings. In the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin, we’ve seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha and the shooting of protesters. Despite the plea for change there has been no action. So our focus today cannot be on basketball,” player Sterling Brown read aloud to reporters. Sterling himself was a victim of police brutality in an incident caught on tape in a 2018 (see below).

Full statement from the Milwaukee Bucks: pic.twitter.com/jjGEyVcCmB

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 26, 2020

For the Milwaukee Bucks, the shooting of unarmed Black man Jacob Blake by a Kenosha, WI police officer is the last straw. While the league has been fully supporting NBA players’ support of the Black Lives Matter movement throughout their truncated season, the Bucks decided to boycott their game five playoff match against the Orlando Magic on Aug. 26. As a show of support for the Bucks’ bold move, the Magic refused to accept the game as a forfeit, allowing the match to take place at a later time so that they could allow the Bucks’ decision to reverberate throughout the league and nation.

Milwaukee has now become the first NBA franchise in the league’s history to boycott a game over social justice issues. After the Bucks’ decision to not take the court, the NBA Players Association announced that all playoff games on Aug. 26 would be rescheduled, including match ups between Houston and Oklahoma City, and the L.A. Lakers and Portland Trailblazers. The game five of each series will now take place at a later date.

FUCK THIS MAN!!!! WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 26, 2020

WE DEMAND CHANGE! SALUTE @Bucks ✊🏾🙏🏾🗣

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) August 26, 2020

Fellow NBA players applauded the Bucks’ move to not play in protest of Blake’s shooting, which has left him paralyzed. On Aug. 23, Blake, 29, was entering his vehicle after trying to break up a fight and was shot from behind seven times by a Kenosha police officer. The shooting was caught on tape and has sparked two nights of riots in the city, which is only 45 minutes outside of Milwaukee.

Just as the Bucks were making their decision to not take the court, L.A. Lakers superstar LeBron James tweeted “F**K THIS MAN!!!! WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT,” regarding police violence against unarmed Black citizens. He had earlier tweeted out his anger over Blake’s shooting on Aug. 24, along with bystander video of it all going down. Bron wrote, “And y’all wonder why we say what we say about the Police!! Someone please tell me WTF is this???!!! Exactly another black man being targeted. This s*t is so wrong and so sad!! Feel so sorry for him, his family and OUR PEOPLE!! We want JUSTICE.”

Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell cheered on Milwaukee’s decision, tweeting,”WE DEMAND CHANGE! SALUTE @Bucks.” On Aug. 24, a day after Blake’s shooting, Donovan tweeted how the NBA playoffs don’t matter when unarmed Black Americans continue to be victimized by the police. “F THE GAMES AND PLAYOFFS!!! THIS IS SICK AND IS A REAL PROBLEM WE DEMAND JUSTICE! ITS CRAZY I DONT HAVE ANY WORDS BUT WTF MAN! THIS IS WHY WE DONT FEEL SAFE!!!!” he wrote.

LeBron James
Lakers superstar LeBron James said he’s had enough of police violence and brutality against Black citizens. Photo credit: AP Images.

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.

— NBA (@NBA) August 26, 2020

The Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was just voted the league’s MVP and Defense Player of the Year on Aug. 25. For him and his team to become the first squad to refuse to take part in a playoff game due to social justice reasons is huge. The team already has shown their support and leadership for the Black Lives Matter movement, becoming the first NBA squad to take part in a protest march following George Floyd‘s May 25 killing by of a Minneapolis Police officer.

In 2018 Bucks player Sterling Brown was the victim of alleged police brutality, and filed a civil suit against City of Milwaukee and its police department, alleging he was “unlawfully stopped, subject to racist language, beaten and then subsequently tasered in a parking lot.” Video even showed Sterling in a calm and non-threatening manner right before five officers suddenly wrestled the 6’6″ shooting guard to the ground and began tasering him, with the then-rookie screaming in excruciating pain. After the tape was released, the city’s mayor and police chief said they were “disturbed” by what they saw on tape. So police brutality really hits home for the Bucks’ squad.

The Bucks’s team owners later came out with a statement fully supporting their players’ decision to boycott their game, but adding they did not know about it before hand. The owners added that “we will continue to stand alongside them and demand accountability and change.”

A statement from the Milwaukee Bucks owners: “We fully support our players and the decision they made…” pic.twitter.com/k4Mg63A1N9

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) August 26, 2020

ESPN reports that the Milwaukee Bucks were on a conference call in their locker room with Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, regarding Blake’s shooting case. Also in response to the police shooting of Blake, the MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers have postponed their Aug. 26 game against the Cincinnati Reds in support of the Bucks’ action and demanding justice for Jacob. 

Center @E_Williams_1 reads statement on @espn as the representative for all @WNBA players. Tonight's games have been cancelled. pic.twitter.com/xDz4uCQSiD

— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) August 26, 2020

The WNBA decided to not play any of their scheduled games on Aug. 26 after the NBA’s decision. The Atlanta Dream’s Elizabeth Williams read a statement saying, “The consensus is to not play in tonight’s slate of games and to kneel, lock arms and raise fists during the national anthem.” 

Click to Subscribe to Our HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter to get more celeb news.
  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk
LeBron James Milwaukee Bucks

More Related News:

  • Jacob Blake: 5 Things To Know About The Wisconsin Man Who Was Shot 7 Times By Police & Is Currently Paralyzed
  • LeBron James Furious Over Jacob Blake Shooting: He ‘Deserves Justice’ After Being ‘Targeted’ By Police
  • LeBron James Urges That Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor Be Arrested: 'There's Been No Justice' 

Most Read

Heidi Klum Wears A Pink Jacket With Nothing Underneath As She Promotes Brother-In-Law’s Book

heidi klum

Nicolas Cage 1st Wedding Photo: New Wife Riko Shibata, 26, Stuns In Handmade Kimono — See Pic

Riko Shibata: 5 Things To Know About Nicolas Cage’s Fifth Wife Amid Vegas Wedding

Nicolas Cage, Riko Shibata

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Son Joseph Baena, 23, Shows How Buff He Is While Flexing In Short Shorts

Joseph Baena

Tom Selleck, 76, Makes Rare Appearance While Running Errands In LA: See 1st Pics Amid Pandemic

Tom Selleck

Have news, pics or video on a breaking news story?

Send us your Tip

Have news, pics or video on a breaking news story?

Send us your Tip

More From Our Brands

  • The Critics Choice Awards Then & Now: Celebrities On the Red Carpet Through the Years
    SheKnows

    The Critics Choice Awards Then & Now: Celebrities On the Red Carpet Through the Years

  • The 3 Most Emotional Zodiac Signs Are Always All Up In Their Feels
    StyleCaster

    The 3 Most Emotional Zodiac Signs Are Always All Up In Their Feels

  • Our Guide to Core Web Vitals and the Page Experience Algorithm
    Blogher

    Our Guide to Core Web Vitals and the Page Experience Algorithm

  • Days of Our Lives Spoilers March 8 – 19
    Soaps

    Days of Our Lives Spoilers March 8 – 19

    HollywoodLife

    • About Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Careers
    • Scoops & Corrections
    • Contact Us

    Legal

    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Rights
    • AdChoices
    • Terms of Use
    • Data Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

    News

    • Celebrity News
    • World News
    • Exclusives
    • Celebrity Babies

    Connect

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
© Copyright 2021 Hollywoodlife.com, LLC.
Powered by WordPress.com VIP
ad