The Milwaukee Bucks are only one game away from finishing the Orlando Magic and exiting their opening playoff series at Walt Disney World.
However, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday afternoon in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Bucks guard George Hill said he regrets going to Florida for the restart of the season in the first place.
“We can not do anything [from Orlando]”Hill said on Monday.” First of all, we shouldn’t even have come to this damn place, to be honest. I think coming here just took all the focus out of the trouble. “
Hill, one of the many sports stars who talk after Blake’s shooting
Blake, a black man, was shot seven times in the back by a white policeman while trying to get into his car – where his three children were waiting in the back seat – Sunday afternoon.
A family lawyer said Blake had tried to break up an argument between two women when the police arrived. A horrific video of the incident, taken across the street, showed that the officer shot Blake multiple times.
Blake, 29, was taken to a local hospital and is now in stable condition, according to the New York Times. The three officers involved were placed on administrative leave.
The shooting sparked massive protests in the city – located just 40 miles south of Milwaukee – and sparked widespread condemnation both inside and outside the sports world.
“The Bucks organization is praying for the recovery of Jacob Blake, who was shot multiple times in the back by a police officer at point-blank range yesterday in Kenosha, Wisconsin,” the team he said in a statement Monday morning. “Our hearts go out to his family and friends.
“We strongly oppose the recurring problems of excessive use of force and immediate escalation when we involve the black community.
“Our organization will continue to support all black lives as we demand accountability and systemic change on behalf of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sylville Smith, Ernest Lacy, Dontre Hamilton, Tony Robinson, Joel Acevedo and countless other victims. We will work to implement a policy change so that these incidents no longer exist. “
basketball, he said, can’t be the priority right now." data-reactid="33">Hill was also asked about the shooting Monday after the Magic win, and he didn’t hold back. Talking about basketball, he said, may not be the priority right now.
“It’s just disgusting. He is heartless. It’s a fucking situation, “Hill said.” Like I said, you should watch the police to protect and serve. Now, they watch you harass or shoot.
“For almost taking a boy’s life, thank God he’s still alive. I know the cops are probably upset that he’s still alive, because I know they definitely tried to kill him. But almost taking the life of a man, especially in front of his own children, who couldn’t stand up to his back point blank, is a heartless and gutsy situation. We need justice for this. “
Before the season reboot, during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement and protests spread across the country following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor earlier this year, several players were considering not participating in Florida.
They felt that doing so could be a distraction from the protests and change that so many were fighting to bring about.
“We’re here, so that’s what it is,” Hill said. “We can’t do anything from here, but I think definitely when everything is settled, some things will have to be done. I think this world needs to change. I think our police department needs to change. We as a society have to change.
“Right now, we’re not seeing any of that. Lives are taken as we speak, day in and day out, and there are no consequences or accountability for that, and that’s what needs to change. “
