Jacob Blake Sr. ‘floored’ that NBA players sought his output on whether to resume the Playoffs.
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Jacob Blake Sr. had just got out of the hospital, after visiting his son, when he got a call. The call was made by the Milwaukee Bucks, minutes after they decided not to play their playoff games, as a protest. They were protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake, by Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer, Rusten Sheshky.
Jacob Blake Sr spoke about how Giannis reacted to the call and how he was deeply touched by Bucks’ handling of the entire situation. He also confirmed that he was now a Milwaukee Bucks fan for life.
“Five minutes after they walked off the court, they were on the phone with me,” Blake Sr. told ESPN on Saturday.
“It touched me so deeply that I shed tears over the phone. They could hear me crying. Giannis [Antetokounmpo] told me I made him cry in front of the whole team. I didn’t intend to make them cry. They felt me and I felt them. I am the newest Milwaukee Bucks fan.”
Jacob Blake Sr., who raised his family in Evanston, Illinois, always thought of himself as a Bulls fan, but the events of the past week made him change allegiances. The warmth and love shown by Wisconsin’s professional clubs have really moved him.
The Green Bay Packers decided to pay the hotel bills for 6 rooms, till Jacob Blake gets better, so the family could be close to him.
Jacob Blake Sr. overwhelmed by all the love and support.
When the NBA players association called an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening, they included Blake Sr. and asked him for his opinions on what to do for the remainder of the post-season. This action really ‘floored’ Jacob Blake Sr. He says he feels he should not tell players what to do with their professional career, but them thinking about asking him for the same means a lot to him.
Bucks sent Blake family autographed jerseys. “They don’t know what they did for us,” he said.
“My children are young and they need pick-me-ups. It’s hard for me, sometimes, to motivate them. But these young brothers in the NBA have motivated my family immensely and we appreciate it immensely.”
Also Read: “Why were the NBA games were boycotted?”
Major league sports and their impact on the social movement
Meanwhile, the NBA community continues to show its support. On Saturday, Bucks senior vice president Alex Lasry, the son of Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, joined a “Justice for Jacob” march in Kenosha.
Blake Sr. urged protesters who are supporting his family to remain nonviolent in their demonstrations.
“I just want people to understand, we’re not buying into any violence, any looting, any burning, any stealing,” he said. “That’s not what changes the world; that’s what destroys the world. Humanity is more important than a jacket, a coat, a hat, a gallon of milk. We need to practice peaceful coexistence. Not ‘turn the other cheek,’ but we can make change happen peacefully. ‘Cause if you slap me once, I know you’re coming back for a second one; I’m not going to let you slap me twice.”
He said that the coordinated efforts by not only the NBA but the WNBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL to bring awareness to what happened to his son was “very effective” and came at a time when society was ready for it.
“You can’t put an egg in water and boil it until the water is boiling. I think now is the point the water is boiling for change,” he said. “And we must stand behind change. I’m impressed by all of them.”
