The Milwaukee Bucks understood on Wednesday they couldn’t take the court against the Orlando Magic, for what would have likely been the contest that would have pushed them into round 2 of the playoffs in their championship campaign.
Not when their own fans, here in Wisconsin, in Kenosha, are suffering after the Jacob Blake shooting that took place over the weekend.
They took an immediate stand by speaking out on the tragedy after it happened. I believe they’ve done more during the crisis than our Wisconsin politicians have (story HERE).
And that trend continued today. I argued that if the teams didn’t boycott, their talks meant nothing (story HERE). And the Bucks realized that the responsibility actually begins with them.
I think that speaks volumes about the character of this team.
And we also shouldn’t ignore the position of their opponents. The Orlando Magic. Who reportedly won’t take a forfeit win here even if they are afforded one. This becomes a sit in for them. They could have been home tonight. Instead, they’ll stay with their NBA brothers inside of the bubble in Disney until they find a place where the games can continue.
Following the news from the Bucks, the NBA suspended all of the games due to be played on Wednesday night.
This does leave the question up in the air. When will play return and who will be the teams to lead the way?
The answer might not be so easy.
But one step at a time.
Fans of the Milwaukee Bucks can move forward knowing that their team made the right decision in standing up for what they believe in.
Basketball will be back soon enough. But the time for Kenosha’s team to act was right now.