Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

White House’s Kushner says will reach out to NBA superstar LeBron James on Thursday

White House Adviser Jared Kushner on Thursday said he would reach out to basketball superstar LeBron James following NBA players’ boycott to protest racial injustice in the wake of a police shooting that paralyzed a Black man in Wisconsin. “I think that it’s nice that they’re standing up for the issue, but I’d like to see them start moving into concrete solutions that are productive. And again, President Trump in this White House is willing to work with them,”

Kushner said in a Politico interview. Becker applauds Osaka protest over racial injustice

Former U.S. Open champion Boris Becker said he fully respected the decision of Naomi Osaka to pull out of her semi-final at the Western & Southern Open in a protest against racial injustice. American-based Japanese Osaka, who won the U.S. Open two years ago against Serena Williams, joined similar protests by athletes in the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, on Sunday in Wisconsin.

NBA postpones games after Bucks boycott, other sports follow suit

The National Basketball Association (NBA) postponed all three playoff games on Wednesday after the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted Game 5 of their series against the Orlando Magic to protest racial injustice, triggering similar moves across other sports. The action by the Wisconsin-based team follows the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the city of Kenosha, also in Wisconsin, on Sunday.

MLB roundup: Braves rookie leads charge in sweep of Yanks

Ronald Acuna Jr. led off with a long home run, one of three struck by Atlanta, and the Braves beat the New York Yankees 5-1 in the first game of a doubleheader, to end Gerrit Cole’s 20-game winning streak on Wednesday. Atlanta’s Ian Anderson, the organization’s top pitching prospect, made an impressive major league debut. Anderson (1-0) pitched six innings and allowed one run on one hit, two walks and six strikeouts. He became just the second starter to beat the Yankees in a major league debut since 2011.

F1 champion Hamilton says he will not boycott Belgian GP

Six-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton said on Thursday he would not boycott Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix after a wave of player protests in the United States against the police shooting of a Black Man forced the postponement of sporting events. The NBA’s Wisconsin-based Milwaukee Bucks started the boycotts when they refused to take the court for their playoff game on Wednesday while other teams followed suit in an unprecedented show of athlete solidarity.

MLB, NHL players ask peers to support Black Lives Matter movement

NHL games and the majority of Major League Baseball games went forward as scheduled on Wednesday, a decision some players called out as a missed opportunity. “NHL is always last to the party on these topics,” Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba told Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver on Wednesday. “It’s kind of sad and disheartening for me and for members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and I’m sure for other guys across the league. But if no one stands up and does anything, then it’s the same thing. That silence. You’re just outside, looking in on actually being leaders and evoking real change when you have such an opportunity to do so.”

NHL roundup: Flyers go OT to even series with Islanders

Philippe Myers scored on a shot from the point at 2:41 of overtime as the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers drew even in their Eastern Conference second-round playoff series with a 4-3 victory against the New York Islanders on Wednesday afternoon in Toronto. The series is tied 1-1 with Game 3 scheduled for Thursday night.

Osaka changes mind and agrees to play semi-final – report

Naomi Osaka has decided to play her semi-final at the Western & Southern Open in New York after previously saying she would withdraw from the match to protest against racial injustice, The Guardian newspaper reported on Thursday. The 22-year-old Japanese was originally scheduled to play her semi-final on Thursday but tournament organisers decided to postpone all the last-four matches to Friday.

Bryan brothers announce retirement days ahead of U.S. Open

Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful men’s doubles team in the history of tennis, are bringing the curtain down on their 22-year professional careers days ahead of the U.S. Open, the site of their major debut in 1995, the ATP said on Thursday. The Bryans, 42, captured a professional era record 119 titles together, including 16 Grand Slams, 39 ATP Masters 1000s and the ATP Finals title four times.

PGA Tour will support player-led protests against racial injustice

The PGA Tour said on Thursday it will support any players who decide to protest against racial injustice following boycotts by athletes in other sports in the wake of the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin. The NBA’s Wisconsin-based Milwaukee Bucks started the boycotts when they refused to take the court for their playoff game on Wednesday while other teams followed suit in an unprecedented show of athlete solidarity.