Utah Jazz Players, NBA Stars React To Milwaukee Bucks Boycotting Playoff Game
Aug 26, 2020, 3:10 PM | Updated: Apr 18, 2021, 5:18 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Members of the Utah Jazz and the NBA took to social media after the Milwaukee Bucks decided to boycott their Game 5 NBA Playoff matchup with the Orlando Magic.
The Bucks are reportedly boycotting the game following the shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday evening when police officers fired seven shots at Jacob Blake, a black man.
Social Media Reaction
Donovan Mitchell and other members of the NBA took to social media in support of the Bucks’ movement.
“WE DEMAND CHANGE! SALUTE @Bucks,” Mitchell tweeted.
WE DEMAND CHANGE! SALUTE @Bucks ✊🏾🙏🏾🗣
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) August 26, 2020
Mitchell also quote tweeted Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray with two yelling emojis.
Murray tweeted “WE DEMAND JUSTICE!!!”
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) August 26, 2020
Utah Jazz sixth man Jordan Clarkson shared his thoughts on social media.
“WE DEMAND CHANGE!” Clarkson tweeted.
WE DEMAND CHANGE!
— Jordan Clarkson (@JordanClarksons) August 26, 2020
Utah Jazz guard Rayjon Tucker, who used to play for the Bucks’ G-League affiliate tweeted about the move the Bucks made.
“Respect to the bucks!! I love it.”
Respect to the bucks !! I love it 🖤🖤🖤
— Rayjon Tucker (@th3flighttuck) August 26, 2020
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James tweeted his thoughts on the movement.
“**** THIS MAN!!! WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT,” James tweeted.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo tweeted “SALUTE.”
SALUTE ✊🏾 @Bucks
— 13am Adebayo💥 (@Bam1of1) August 26, 2020
San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan tweeted out “Respect @Bucks!!!!”
Respect @bucks!!!!
— DeMar DeRozan (@DeMar_DeRozan) August 26, 2020
Bucks Owner Alex Lasry tweeted his support for his franchise.
“Some things are bigger than basketball,” Lasry wrote. “The stand taken today by the players and org (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.”
Some things are bigger than basketball. The stand taken today by the players and org 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
— Alex Lasry (@AlexLasryWI) August 26, 2020
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant tweeted his “respect” for the movement.
respect ✊🏽
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) August 26, 2020
The other two NBA Playoff game scheduled for Wednesday are reportedly being boycott. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets will not play their Game 5 matchup and the same with the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers.
The Jazz and Nuggets are scheduled to play Game 6 on Thursday at 2 p.m. Still no word on whether the game will be played or not at the time of this story.
Jacob Blake
On Sunday evening in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Jacob Blake went around the front of a gray SUV with two police officers following behind him. When Blake entered the driver side of the car and opened the door, video shows the nearest officer grabbing Blake’s tank top and seven shots were fired. According to Blake’s attorney, his three children were in the car.
Blake was taken to the hospital where he is currently in stable condition in an intensive care unit, according to his attorney.
Blake was allegedly breaking up a fight between two women that had the police called to the home where Blake was at when he was shot.