All summer long, the players of the National Basketball Association have been on the front lines in the battle to achieve racial justice in our nation.
Following the recent shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, those teams that are still competing in the playoffs in Orlando have reportedly decided to boycott Wednesday's games at the Disney World 'bubble' as a form of protest.
The Los Angeles Lakers are among the teams electing not to play. Lakers star and Akron native LeBron James made his feelings about what is happening with Blake and racial justice clear in a tweet he sent out on Wednesday afternoon: "(Expletive) THIS MAN!!!! WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT"
On Monday, the day after Blake's shooting, James gave a powerful response to reporters about what had taken place in Wisconsin.
“It's just, quite frankly, it's just (expletive) up in our community. I know people get tired of hearing me say it, but we are scared as Black people in America. Black men, Black women, Black kids we are terrified,” he said. "If you're sitting here telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman, or detain him, or before the firing of guns, then you're sitting here you're lying to not only me, you're lying to every African American, every Black person in the community because we see it over and over and over."
Blake was shot in the back as he leaned into his SUV with his three children in the vehicle by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin during a confrontation Sunday night. Blake's father said he was left paralyzed from the waist down. He remains hospitalized.
On Tuesday, Ben Crump, the lawyer for Blake’s family, said it would “take a miracle” for Blake to walk again. He called for the officer who opened fire to be arrested and for the others involved to lose their jobs.
During the unrest in Kenosha since then, protesters destroyed dozens of buildings, set fires and hurled objects at police, who responded with tear gas on three straight nights.
In the aftermath of George Floyd's death in police custody in Minneapolis, James formed a group called "More Than A Vote," which is aimed at protecting African American voting rights. In July, the group donated $100,000 to help register Florida voters with felony records by paying outstanding fees.
