NBA calls off playoff games after Milwaukee Bucks boycott game over shooting of Jacob Blake
The players forced the league's hand after protesting the Sunday shooting by Kenosha police of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The NBA postponed all of Wednesday's playoff games after the Milwaukee Bucks opted to boycott Game 5 of their series against the Orlando Magic and other teams quickly followed suit in protest of the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin.
The players protested the Sunday shooting by Kenosha police of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man. Bucks guard George Hill told The Undefeated that "We’re tired of the killings and the injustice."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The game was scheduled for 4 p.m. ET, and at that time the Bucks still weren't on the court, so NBA officials decided to go into their locker room to check on the players.
According to a report by The Athletic, Bucks players were trying to reach out to the attorney general of Wisconsin, Josh Kaul, and the Magic players said that they would not accept a forfeit win after the Bucks left the court.
The Bucks put out a statement about their decision to boycott the game.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action," the team said. "So, our focus today cannot be on basketball."
Shortly after the Bucks' decision, reports came out that players on both the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder were planning to boycott Game 5 game of their Western Conference series, and ESPN reported that the Los Angeles Lakers were going to have a team meeting to discuss boycotting their matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers later on Wednesday night.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
The NBA and NBPA confirmed that all three games are now officially canceled. They put out a joint statement saying that games will not be played due to boycotting.
"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," the statement read.