This Matters: WNBA, MLB, MLS teams join NBA in sports boycott following Jacob Blake shooting

Following the postponement of all NBA games today, athletes in other sports have joined in, in solidarity, and boycotted their scheduled games:

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Three NBA, three WNBA games, three MLB games and five MLS matches were postponed Wednesday, led by a boycott by the Milwaukee Bucks of its playoff game due to the police shooting of Black man Sunday in the team's home state.

Soccer players from Atlanta United and Inter Miami stood together on field before calling off the match.

Inter Miami and Atlanta United stand together in solidarity as they boycott their match tonight. pic.twitter.com/AuJDSbNvQ1

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 27, 2020

When professional sports began to return, my fear was that it would possibly distract Americans from the solidarity and sense of urgency that so many of us  felt after the murder of George Floyd. So I take heart that professional athletes at least for one night are refusing to play in light of the tragic events in Kenosha.

We’ve only ever seen NBA players boycott a game ONCE. It was an exhibition game in 1961 and Bill Russell with a handful of other Celtics sat out in protest of racial injustice.. the fact we are still doing this 50 years later for the SAME THING should be incredibly telling.

— Elle Duncan (@elleduncanESPN) August 26, 2020

This matters:

What @NBA players did today matters greatly.

Don’t think for a minute that it doesn’t.

As my father said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” pic.twitter.com/nlrQxwEYFl

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) August 26, 2020