Celtics and Raptors might boycott Game 1 after Jacob Blake shooting

The Celtics and Raptors are continuing to discuss boycotting Game 1 of their second-round series as a statement on the shooting of Jacob Blake by police.

Protests for racial justice have been a presence throughout the NBA playoffs, with players wear activist slogans on their jerseys and using their platforms to press for change. Unfortunately, the police violence driving those protests has been present as well with new assaults and killings popping up regularly.

The Aug. 23 shooting of Jacob Blake (seven times in the back, in front of his children, after he helped break up a fight between two other people) by police in Kenosha, WI has brought these issues back to the front of the NBA conversation in a visceral way.

Several NBA players have given blunt and emotionally raw comments after the Blake shooting. George Hill said, “We can’t do anything. First all, we shouldn’t have came to this damn place to be honest.” Jaylen Brown of the Celtics said, “I wear No. 7 and now when I look at my jersey, all I see is a Black man being shot seven times in the back.”

Which NBA games could be boycotted?

Players are looking for ways to turn words and into action and it sounds like some games could be boycotted. Fred VanVleet had previously said that the Raptors discussed a boycott internally but today ESPN’s Marc Spears reported that they’ve actually met with the Celtics to discuss a Game 1 boycott.

The series is scheduled to begin Thursday evening and Spears reported that the teams plan to meet again Wednesday night to further discuss their plans. This is all still up in the air but, for what it’s worth, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse seemed open to the idea in conversation with the media today.