NBA players, led by LeBron James, and the Milwaukee club, which boycotted a playoff game last summer after police gunfire seriously injured African-American Jacob Blake, lamented Tuesday l absence of legal proceedings against them.
“Finding out what happened today was a blow to my heart and guts,” James said after the Lakers' victory in Memphis.
"LBJ" added that this blow was hard "for every black person (...), but also in the white community, for (people) who see moments like this happening".
Earlier, he relayed a quote from Martin Luther King - "An unjust law is not at all a law" - adding "NOT AT ALL !!!", to express his feeling at the announcement of the decision of the prosecutor in charge of this case which had revived anti-racist anger in the United States.
The superstar, like all the other basketball players in the league, had threatened not to resume play in the Disney World bubble and had forced the NBA to be more proactive in fighting racial injustice, after this drama occurred in Kenosha in Wisconsin on August 23.
AT ALL !!!
.
♂️ https://t.co/m3iv1NZxQY
- LeBron James (@KingJames) January 5, 2021
Jacob Blake, 29, was shot several times in the back in front of his three sons as he tried to get into a car.
Seriously injured, he lost the use of his legs.
Bucks issue statement to mark their bitterness
Very affected, the players of the Bucks, a Milwaukee club located near Kenosha, had initiated a boycott of the match two days later, engaged by other baseball and football teams as well as by the Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka. .
The Wisconsin franchise also reacted by way of a statement: “The Bucks strongly condemn the excessive use of force by law enforcement.
The past year has shed light on the racial injustices facing our African American communities and other marginalized communities.
These recurring cases of excessive use of force must end ”.
pic.twitter.com/8qLfGFyLfh
- Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 6, 2021
“As a club, we remain firmly committed to addressing issues of social and racial injustice and making meaningful change,” the Bucks added without ever citing Jacob Blake's name.
Their former player, Wesley Matthews, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, said the prosecutor's decision was "really disheartening."
“It's overwhelming as a human being that justice is not justice.
It's difficult."
Struggling to find his words, Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell said, "It's sad to be at a point where we no longer expect any justice to be done for this kind of thing that you are are scary as an African American.
It's just discouraging ”.
"We have to continue to stay strong, to believe in each other, to keep pushing for a big change, for the greater good of all," LeBron James nevertheless called.
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