Yahoo Sports Mystics wear Jacob Blake shirts with 'bullet holes' ahead of game with Dream
The Washington Mystics made an incredible, powerful statement ahead of their matchup against the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday night.
Just hours after the Milwaukee Bucks led a walkout in the NBA playoffs in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin, Mystics players arrived at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, with special white T-shirts.
Jacob Blake shirts with ‘bullet’ holes
Each player had a different letter written on the front of the shirts, which spelled out Blake’s name. The back of the shirts each had seven holes cut out, symbolizing the multiple times Blake was shot by police.
The back of their shirts.
(via @WashMystics) pic.twitter.com/XTMNmfpXSo— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 26, 2020
Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot multiple times in the back by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday afternoon as he tried to get into his car. The incident was captured on video and instantly drew widespread condemnation.
An attorney for the Blake family said that three of his children were in the car at the time, too.
All three NBA games scheduled for Wednesday were postponed after the Bucks first staged a walkout. The Milwaukee Brewers opted to walk out of their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night in solidarity with the Bucks, too.
The Mystics’ game against the Dream was one of three scheduled for Wednesday night. All six teams involved opted to follow the NBA’s lead and not play.
“Tonight we stand,” Dream center Elizabeth Williams said in a statement on ESPN on behalf of all six teams. “And while we have heavy hearts, we stand with strong and determined voices and ask all our fans to vote and engage and to make that difference.”
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