It all started with the Milwaukee Bucks boycotting Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Series play-off tie against the Orlando Magic at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, where the NBA games are being held since resuming after the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic-enforced break.

Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the Women’s NBA also followed the suit, postponing their respective games, while two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka joined the protests by pulling out of the ongoing Western and Southern Open WTA tennis tournament in New York after reaching the semifinals.

“As a black woman I feel as though there’re much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis,” Osaka said.

Osaka will not play in semifinals

The action by the Wisconsin-based Milwaukee Bucks follows the police shooting of Blake, a black man, in the city of Kenosha, also in Wisconsin, on Sunday (August 23).

The Bucks players later said in a statement they were unable to focus on basketball due to the events in Kenosha.

Bucks players call for accountability

In addition to the Bucks-Magic game, the NBA said the Houston Rockets-Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers-Portland Trail Blazers games would be rescheduled.

Lakers chief Jeanie Buss expressed her full support for players by tweeting, “I was excited to see us play and hopefully close out our series tonight. But I stand behind our players, today and always.”

Lakers chief comes out in support of players

Former US President Barack Obama praised the Bucks in a Twitter post that included a video clip of an emotional Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers talking about Blake.

“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,” Obama tweeted.

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

The Bucks owners said they were not aware ahead of time of what the players were planning, but supported them to the hilt.

“The only way to bring about change is to shine a light on racial injustices that’re happening in front of us,” co-owners Marc Lasry, Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan said in a joint statement.

Bucks owners supports players

Since NBA resumed after the COVID-19-enforced break, basketball courts at the Walt Disney World Resort, have the words ‘Black Lives Matter’ painted on them.

It may be recalled that in May, athletes from around the world had united behind anti-racism protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man in police custody in Minneapolis.

(With inputs from Agencies)