US leagues postpone games over Jacob Blake shooting
August 27, 2020
NBA players boycotted their games for the second straight day, while NFL teams canceled scheduled practice sessions over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Action in the NHL, MLB and WNBA was also reportedly postponed.
The US Basketball league NBA on Thursday postponed three playoff games for the second consecutive day. It follows an unprecedented walkout by players over racial injustice after the police shooting of an unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake.
The Milwaukee Bucks players decided to boycott their playoff game on Wednesday, sending shockwaves across US sports. The NBA decided to postpone the games on that day's schedule. The WNBA also called off their games for both Wednesday and Thursday.
Other sporting leagues followed suit, starting with the Major League Baseball which delayed three games before they were due to begin, while Major League Soccer postponed five of the six scheduled games.
According to ESPN, the National Hockey League will not play its scheduled playoff games on Thursday.
Multiple NFL teams also canceled scheduled practice sessions on Thursday in the wake of massive protests that started in the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and spread to cities across the US.
Trump blasts NBA
The NBA has said it hopes to resume the season by the weekend. But the league still faced criticism from President Donald Trump.
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"They've become like a political organization and that's not a good thing. I don't think that's a good thing for sports or for the country," Trump said.
This is the second time this month that the president lashed out at the NBA. He had earlier called its players "very nasty " and "frankly very dumb."
The Los Angeles Lakers, its star player LeBron James and the Los Angeles Clippers voted to abandon the season at a meeting involving players from all teams late Wednesday.
But at another players' meeting on Thursday, the teams reached an agreement to continue the season. James and the Lakers were reportedly "on board" with the decision.
The sweeping cancellation of fixtures marks a new level of protests by US sport. Several star players have used their platform to express outrage over the shooting of Blake.
The 29-year-old man was shot multiple times in the back by a police officer on Sunday, leaving him paralyzed. The incident was captured on video and sparked renewed protests over racial injustice and police brutality in the US that first gripped that nation after the killing of George Floyd earlier this year.
Black Lives Matter: Protests in sports
US sports teams in the NBA, MLB, MLS and WNBA boycotted scheduled games to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. It was the latest in a string of recent "Black Live Matters" protests in sports.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/K. Klement
American sports halt once more
US basketball teams in the NBA boycotted their playoff games out of protest against the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Women players in the WNBA followed with their own protest, as did players from Major League Baseball.
Image: Reuters/USA TODAY Sports/Kevin C. Cox
Five MLS games postponed
After the first game in Major League Soccer went ahead as planned on Wednesday, the remaining five scheduled contests were postponed. MLS players have shown solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement since the league resumed play at the beginning of July.
Image: Getty Images/M. Ehrmann
Naomi Osaka boycotts WTA tournament
Two-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka withdrew from a WTA tennis event in New York ahead of next month's US Open, leading the tournament to pause indefinitely. "As a Black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tenns," Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka said in a statement posted on Twitter.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/F. Franklin II
'Black Lives Matter' shirts
Since resuming its season, the NBA has demonstrated solidarity with the "Black Lives Matter" movement. All participants have been wearing shirts or sweatshirts bearing the slogan and have been kneeling before tipoff. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James (second from right) points to the sky in recognition of the victims of police brutality.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/K. C. Cox
Late recognition by the NFL
The originator of the "take a knee" protest is ex-NFL star Colin Kaepernick (center). He first knelt during the US national anthem to protest police violence against African Americans. President Donald Trump voiced his outrage over the protest, and Kaepernick couldn't find another team after his 49ers release. "I wish we had listened earlier to Kaep," NFL commissioner Roger Godell said recently.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. J. Sanchez
Bundesliga against racism
After the death of 46-year-old Black man George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May, the "Black Lives Matter" movement spread outside to sports outside the US. Bundesliga football players have displayed their solidarity, such as Bayern Munich players Thomas Müller (left) and Alphonso Davies (right) before a game against Leverkusen in June.
Image: picture-alliance/R. Ibing
Kneeling goal celebration
SGS Essen player Nicole Anyomi celebrated a goal against Tribune Potsdam with a "take a knee" pose. "We are in 2020 and racism and injustice still prevails," Anyomi told DW. "We have to be active and raise our voice and speak out. If something happens you can't just stand by, look on and say nothing."
Image: Imago Images//M. Koch
Premier League supports 'Black Lives Matter'
The English Premier League paused 100 days due to the coronavirus pandemic. When the players were finally allowed to return to the empty stadiums, they too sent a clear signal against racism, like during this game between Aston Villa and Sheffield United.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/C. Recine
Cricket is no exception
Protests against police brutality towards Black people also took place in many other sports worldwide. The West Indies cricket team knelt before a test match in Manchester against England.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/NMC/M. Steele
'Your silence is deafening'
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton never gets tired of reminding his colleagues that just showing solidarity, like before the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix — is not enough. "Your silence is still deafening," Hamilton wrote on his Instagram page in June. "You may not be racist in your silence but we need you to be ANTI-racist." Hamilton's Mercedes team is driving black cars this season.
Image: Reuters/B. Lennon
Treble T-shirt
When Bayern Munich won the Champions League to complete their treble, David Alaba (left) used the opportunity to make a religious and political statement. The front of his sleeveless T-shirt read "My strength lies with Jesus," and on the back "Black Lives Still Matter."
