The Miami Heat were off and in “wait mode”, but they too had something to say about Jacob Blake’s shooting. Here’s a bit of their reaction to the NBA strike.
The Miami Heat were off on Sunday, preparing for their Monday evening matchup against the Indiana Pacers that would give them a chance to close the series. With an off day, they most certainly had a walkthrough, discussed some pertinent things for Monday’s coming game, and even got some shots up.
Those shots weren’t nearly the most important ones of the day. The most important shots were fired in Kenosha, Wisconsin and they were important for all the wrong reasons.
By now, we have all heard of the unfortunate shooting of Jacob Blake. It is just the latest in a long line of what has clearly been the less than subpar treatment of black and brown peoples by the police charged with serving and protecting their communities.
With that in mind, NBA players decided on Wednesday that enough is enough. Appropriately so, as the Blake shooting happened less than an hour’s drive from Milwaukee, the Bucks were one of the first teams to actively boycott playing their scheduled playoff contest against the Orlando Magic.
The Miami Heat were off on Wednesday, but those teams that weren’t reacted strongly to Jacob Blake’s shooting. The Miami Heat did their parts as well.
The Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, and Portland Trail Blazers soon followed. Again and although the Miami Heat were and are off, until or if the Bucks and Magic even finish their series, they still had things to say on the topic.
Looks like season teetering. https://t.co/sX0crTHD3v
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) August 27, 2020
The Miami Heat’s captain, Udonis Haslem, wondered how the season would go on without the two L.A. based franchises? After all, it was only those two teams that voted to shut the season down in a vote cast by all 30 teams.
The vice president of the NBA Players Association, the Miami Heat’s Andre Iguodala, also had words. Here are a few of his thoughts.
Andre Igoudala says no decision on boycotting games has been made. Players weighing their options. pic.twitter.com/bulzKMEORD
— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) August 26, 2020
The players were not by themselves though. The Miami Heat as a team and franchise also put out a statement in this trying and tumultuous time. Here is their statement, per their official Twitter account.
"Enough.We have all witnessed the disparity in how the police treat unarmed Black men and women vs armed White men. This unequal treatment of Black people at the hands of the police has to stop. Now.We stand firmly with the NBA players and support their decision to protest."
A strong statement from the Miami Heat, it was the one that needed to be made.
Other than the hoped positive outcomes and benefits of such a movement and demonstration by the NBA players, it could mean an abrupt stop to the NBA restart and the bubble proceedings. That is secondary at the moment to the life, liberty, equal, and fair treatment of all people though.
If that is the way it has to be, then so shall it be. We stand for and behind it here at All U Can Heat.