Celtics Deliver Strong Show Of Support For NBA Playoff Boycott

ORLANDO, FL — Boston Celtics players and the Celtics franchise lined up in support of NBA players who boycotted Wednesday night's playoff games — placing the remainder of the playoff season in doubt — in protest after the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin on Sunday.

Milwaukee Bucks players began the day of postponements when they refused to take the court for their playoff game against the Orlando Magic in the NBA playoff bubble Wednesday afternoon. The court remained empty as game time passed with a postponement of all three scheduled playoff games announced shortly later.

The Celtics were scheduled to play the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals Thursday night, but that game appeared in jeopardy Wednesday night after Celtics players Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum jointed Raptors players in saying that they feel the focus should not be on basketball at a time when police brutality and racial injustice persists.

Reports out of an NBA players' meeting Wednesday night suggested it is unlikely the NBA will play Thursday night — with the remainder of the NBA playoffs in question.

Tatum told reporters earlier Wednesday: "We are more than just basketball players. We are people. And we have these raw feelings and emotions."

The Milwaukee Brewers also decided not to play their MLB game against the Cincinnati Reds Wednesday night, among three MLB games that were not ultimately played out of protest.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens said earlier on Wednesday that he was in support of whatever decision the players make about Thursday's Game 1.

"These guys are people first," Stevens told reporters. "They care deeply about the communities that they grew up in, the communities you live in, and everything that’s going on affects them emotionally and us emotionally, just like everyone else."

I want to go protest
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) August 25, 2020

Former Celtics coach Doc Rivers delivered a passionate speech in his postgame press conference following Tuesday night's playoff game between the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks that included the statement: "We're the ones getting killed. We're the ones getting shot. It's amazing to me that we keep loving this country, and this country does not love us back.

"My dad was a cop. I believe in good cops. We're trying to get them to protect us just like they protect everybody else."

WE DEMAND CHANGE! WE DEMAND JUSTICE!
— Grant Williams (@Grant2Will) August 26, 2020

The Celtics organization was quick to back the call to action on their social media account when the boycott was announced.

Other prominent New England athletes shared their outrage on social media as well.