Jacob Blake's Father Urged Bucks to Play After Rusten Sheskey Wasn't Charged

Jacob Blake Sr. urged the Milwaukee Bucks to play their game as scheduled on Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons.

Per Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Bucks discussed various options, including "demonstrating during the anthem to not playing the game" in the wake of the decision not to charge Kenosha County police officer Rusten Sheskey in the shooting of Jacob Blake Jr. in August. 

Owczarski noted Giannis Antetokounmpo said the team received a message from Blake Sr. "that the family wanted them to play and to use their platform, which the league’s Most Valuable Player said helped push them to think of a different method of demonstration."

After the opening tipoff, players and coaches for both teams took a knee for seven seconds to protest the decision from Kenosha County prosecutors. 

The idea to do something during the game was suggested by head coach Mike Budenholzer because "the national anthem is not always shown on television, and no independent media or fans are allowed into Fiserv Forum to help document it."

Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley announced Tuesday that Sheskey wouldn't be charged for shooting Blake seven times on Aug. 23. 

Antetokounmpo added the Bucks informed the Pistons of what they were planning to do before the game started. 

The shooting has left Blake paralyzed from the waist down. His uncle, Justin Blake, told the Associated Press in October that his nephew was being treated at a rehabilitation clinic in Illinois.