Barack Obama backs Bucks, NBA players leading walkout after Jacob Blake shooting
The Milwaukee Bucks led a walkout at Walt Disney World on Wednesday in response to the Jacob Blake shooting on Sunday, and former President Barack Obama is right behind them.
Obama tweeted out his support for the Bucks and the rest of the league on Wednesday night, one of countless to do so after a monumental day in NBA history.
‘I commend the players on the Bucks’
Obama tweeted out a video of Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers while praising the Bucks, the NBA and the WNBA on Wednesday.
The video was Rivers’ emotional interview about the shooting and being Black in America from earlier this week.
I commend the players on the @Bucks for standing up for what they believe in, coaches like @DocRivers, and the @NBA and @WNBA for setting an example. It’s going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values. pic.twitter.com/rUGETgAt7P
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 27, 2020
“We’re the ones getting killed. We’re the ones getting shot,” Rivers said, in part. “We’re the ones that are denied to live in certain communities. We’ve been hung, we’ve been shot. All you do is keep hearing about fear.
“It’s amazing to me why we keep loving this country and this country does not love us back.”
Rivers was one of countless in the NBA to speak out after the shooting and in the days that followed. LeBron James has spoken about it several times, and took to Twitter once again on Wednesday after the Bucks walked out.
“People get tired of hearing me say it, but we are scared as Black people in America,” James said after their win against Portland on Sunday night, part of a powerful statement he delivered. “Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified.”
That walkout sparked widespread walkouts around the sports world, too. The WNBA quickly followed suit, as did Major League Soccer and select MLB teams and players. NBA players met late on Wednesday night to discuss the future of the season, and ultimately decided on Thursday to resume the playoffs.
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