The three matches of NBA National Basketball Association Playoffs have been cancelled due to the players ‘Black Lives Matter’ protest.
The protests have restarted after another brutal incidence, in which a white policeman shot a black man Jacob Blake in the back seven times in Kenosha, Wisconsin. According to reports due to the shooting Blake is paralysed from the waist down.
A even more serious incident had taken place in May 2020, when Black person George Floyd was killed bya white police officer in the state of Minneapolis.
After the present brutal incidence the famous American basketball club Milwaukee Bucks refused to enter the court for the games on 26th August. The sportsmen protested against police brutality and racial injustice. The Milwaukee Bucks were set to play against Orlando Magic.
LeBron James of Lakers also supported Bucks and tweeted “We demand change. sick of it”. James has become a vocal critic of police violence against Black men in the US. He tweeted in the wake of Blake’s shooting, “and y’all wonder why we say what we say about the Police!!”
The other teams such as Thunder and the Rockets joined the protest shortly and were planning to boycott the games.
After analysing the situation the American basketball governing body NBA has suspended the following three matches:
1. Milwaukee Bucks vs Orlando Magic
2. Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trailblazers
3. Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder
On the other hand the players have arranged a meeting with NBA’s Board of Governors on 27th August to discuss the future of NBA Playoffs.
The players protest and cancellation of the matches has become a part of widespread protests in USA. The issue has become more highlighted due to the forthcoming American Presidential Elections later this year.
