PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers will not play Game 5 of their first-round playoff series Wednesday night.
The boycott is in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday. Blake was shot multiple times by a police officer and a family lawyer said it would be a “miracle” for him to walk again. Earlier this week, Blazers guard CJ McCollum commented on the shooting, saying "life is much bigger than the game of basketball."
The Milwaukee Bucks were the first team to decide not to play Wednesday. Once it became clear players from other teams were also not going to play, the NBA postponed all three playoff games that were scheduled Wednesday. The league plans to reschedule the games at a later date.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports the boycott came as a surprise to the NBA and team owners. Wojnarowski also said he was told by an NBA player the season is in jeopardy.
Multiple reports say the players will meet Wednesday night to discuss what they'll do moving forward.
After the game was postponed, the Blazers tweeted #BlackLivesMatter.
Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who has been a vocal advocate for police reform, applauded the decision of NBA players.
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