Raptors, Suns players lock arms during anthems amid off-court chaos

The Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns linked arms during the Canadian and U.S. national anthems in a show of solidarity before their game on Wednesday.

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry consulted with Suns guard and NBA Players’ Union president Chris Paul before the game on how their two teams would respond to two major events. The Raptors also demonstrated during the anthems last season to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

It was announced on Wednesday morning that Rusten Sheskey, the police officer who fired seven times into the back of an unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake, in Wisconsin, would not face charges from the District Attorney’s office. Blake was left paralyzed, and that incident sparked a walkout across the NBA and throughout North American sporting leagues, which included the Raptors opting to strike during their playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

Later in the day, armed pro-Donald Trump insurrectionists forcibly broke into and occupied Capitol Hill in an effort to disrupt the counting of Electoral College votes that would have confirmed President-Elect Joe Biden. One woman was shot dead while 13 people were arrested.

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