The Bucks players have shared a statement regarding their boycott of Game 5 following the shooting of Jacob Blake. Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Milwaukee Bucks share team statement following player boycott

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Aug 26, 2020 8:13 PM ET

Hours after the Milwaukee Bucks became the first professional sports franchise to boycott their game to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake, players emerged from the locker room to share a joint team statement:

Full statement from the Milwaukee Bucks: pic.twitter.com/jjGEyVcCmB
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 26, 2020

The Milwaukee Bucks have boycotted Game 5 of their First Round series vs. the Orlando Magic this afternoon.

The team provided the following statement: pic.twitter.com/ul5rMlitlS
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 26, 2020

Milwaukee players refused to take the court Wednesday afternoon for a scheduled Game 5 showdown versus the Orlando Magic. That game and two others were eventually postponed by the league, and additional cancellations could be announced late Wednesday night or Thursday.

Three WNBA evening games were also called off, as were no fewer than three MLB contests after athletes either voted or jointly elected to opt out of Wednesday's action.

Blake, a Black man who was shot at least seven times by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday, is reportedly paralyzed following the incident.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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