NBA Games Postponed As Players Protest Against Police Shooting Of Jacob Blake

NBA officials have decided to postpone an entire round of playoff fixtures after the Milwaukee Bucks players boycotted their game against the Orlando Magic.

Some of the NBA's biggest stars have continued to take a stand against racial injustices following the continued police brutality across the globe.

And the recent shooting of Jacob Blake was no exception.

PA

Wisconsin native Blake made headlines when he was shot in the back seven times by county police officers.

The shocking incident happened in Kenosha, Wisconsin - just 45 minutes away from the city of Milwaukee.

Incredibly, the father-of-three somehow remained alive but was left paralyzed and will probably never walk again.

Graphic footage of the shooting quickly emerged on social media which sparked riots across America - similar to the protests following George Floyd's death in Minneapolis back in May.

In a protest against the incident, Milwaukee Bucks players were not willing to take the floor in their Game 5 playoff clash against the Orlando Magic.

Bucks' senior vice president Alex Lasry tweeted: "Some things are bigger than basketball."

"The stand taken today by the players and org shows that we're fed up.

"Enough is enough. Change needs to happen.

"I'm incredibly proud of our guys and we stand 100 per cent behind our players ready to assist and bring about real change."

The NBA has played a big role in advocating change and helping give a voice to the 'Black Lives Matter' movement.

A number of players have continued to wear the 'Black Lives Matter' shirts prior to games as well as kneel for the national anthem in protest of police brutality.

And now, for the first time in history, the NBA has postponed playoff games following player boycotts.

The sport's governing body released a statement saying: "The NBA and the NBPA 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 - Milwaukee vs Orlando, Houston vs Oklahoma City and Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland have been postponed."

And while the Bucks players were seemingly leading the league-wide boycott, a number of big-name NBA players and sports personalities took to social media to share their thoughts.

Basketball great LeBron James tweeted: "F*** THIS MAN!!!! WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT."

While ESPN's Stephen A. Smith posted a video titled: "So proud of the NBA players."

Topics: Basketball, NBA, lebron james, Australia

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry