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Published 12:11 IST, August 28th 2020

Donald Trump labels NBA a "political organisation" after boycott over Jacob Blake shooting

Following the NBA boycott, after Bucks sat out their game against Orlando Magic, Donald Trump labelled the NBA as a "political organisation".

Reported by: Devika Pawar
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Ever since the NBA 2019-20 season resumed, US President Donald Trump has publically criticised the league's decision to support the Black Lives Matter movement. This week, the Milwaukee Bucks chose to strike and boycott their first-round playoffs Game 5 against the Orlando Magic after Jacob Blake's shooting. While Trump remained tight-lipped about Blake's brutal shooting, he chose to slam the NBA after the move to postpone the games as a form of protest over police brutality. 

Also read | LeBron James facilitating multi-million-dollar effort to recruit poll workers for election: NBA playoffs postponed

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NBA playoffs postponed: Donald Trumps labels NBA “a political organization" after NBA boycott

On Thursday, Trump said that the NBA has now become like a "political organization", condemning the league for their consistent protests supporting the BLM movement. This comment is preceded by White House aides calling the league "hypocrites" who are protesting against systemic racism but refuse to comment on the situation in China. In a previous radio show, Donald Trump had called out players for kneeling during the national anthem, referring to them as "very nasty" and "very dumb".

Also read | LeBron James, other NBA players firm with call to boycott playoffs for Black Lives Matter: NBA playoffs postponed

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Donald Trump on NBA's support for the BLM movement

“They’ve become like a political organization, and that’s not a good thing,” Trump told reporters. Since his previous interviews, the president has spoken about the declining NBA ratings after stating that he will no longer watch the games if they continue disrespecting the American anthem and flag. “I don’t think that’s a good thing for sports or for the country.” Following his comments, NBA icon LeBron James spoke to the media after a game about players not being bothered by Trump refusing to watch NBA games. 

Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff Marc Short also spoke to CNN about the NBA boycott and protests over the Jacob Blake shooting. He referred to their attempts as "absurd and silly" as they remain quiet about the issues in China. Short's comments are connected to last month's ESPN reports which revealed that young student-athletes were being physically abused by instructors and coaches in China, while not even receiving proper schooling. “There is a contrast to the positions they’ve been taking,” Short said.

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Also read | Why are NBA games postponed? Lakers, Clippers come together in boycotting playoffs: NBA playoffs postponed

The Milwaukee Bucks boycotted play after refusing to walk out of their locker room on August 26. The Orlando Magic left the court after realising that the Bucks will not be showing up. Following their boycott, the Houston Rockets and OKC Thunder also chose to boycott their game. The league then announced that the playoffs have been postponed. However, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the league hopes to resume play by the weekend. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner spoke to CNBC about the NBA boycott, stating that the players are fortunate that they can "take a night off from work without having to have the consequences to themselves financially."

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Also read | Donald Trump warns NBA 'in big trouble' after players kneel during national anthem

(Image credits: AP)

12:11 IST, August 28th 2020