AUGUST 26th
The Day Sports Stood Still
They advocated for change after George Floyd. They lobbied for reform with Breonna Taylor. They questioned the impact they might have by halting sports entirely. They relented, but after Wednesday’s events, their influence finally got noticed. Last Wednesday, the NBA sat out the playoffs.
It happened just days after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot seven times in the back by one officer. The act was caught on camera and happened in front of his children. This shooting, coupled with the actions of 17-year old Kyle Rittenhouse during a protest, sparked outrage across America, including among professional athletes.
The Milwaukee Bucks, a favorite to win the NBA championship, was the first team to sit-out. Spearheaded by Bucks guard George Hill and forward Sterling Brown, they released a statement regarding their decision not to play. Before long, other pro-teams followed suit. The NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL and the WNBA postponed games, practices and playoffs. Tennis star Naomi Osaka forfeited matches and the list goes on and on.
Since then, the Bucks organization and many league members have contacted governing bodies past and present to see what they could potentially do to seek justice. In the meantime, play has resumed despite pushback from critics and players alike. Players have talked about their own experiences with racial profiling, reinforcing that you are still Black even if you are a pro-athlete.
Sterling Brown, the player who spoke on behalf of the Bucks, was one of the first athletes to discuss his race-related encounter with police. It wasn’t resolved until his identity was confirmed.
For a long time, athletes were seen as entertainers first and people second. Regardless of what comes next, this moment underscores athletes are people first, athletes second. These are individuals, Black, brown or white, who want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness just like everyone else.
August 26th will live in infamy for fans and athletes because of these events. In 2016, when former NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the National Anthem, the reaction was so different. It was an event that vilified him and he was blackballed by the very sport that made him famous.
The events of August 26th have changed the conversation. We may be at the point where the conversation will be heard and things can change.