Donovan Mitchell, LeBron James and More Athletes Demand Justice for Jacob Blake

Rob Goldberg @TheRobGoldbergFeatured ColumnistAugust 24, 2020

Utah Jazz's Donovan Mitchell reacts against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo via AP)

Kevin C. Cox/Associated Press

Prominent athletes have taken to social media to discuss the police shooting of Jacob Blake that occurred Sunday in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Donovan Mitchell speaks up after seeing video of police shoot Jacob Blake. https://t.co/ZaWpIpub4P

Baron Davis @BaronDavis
Shooting in the back is beyond cowardly. These cops that are killing, are cowards, scared, heartless, Cops - Stop killing our people

Kenny Stills @KSTiLLS
Tired of waking up to videos of people being gun downed by the police.

Michael Thomas @Cantguardmike
Stop killing unarmed black people.

Tyrann Mathieu @Mathieu_Era
Damn they shot that man 7 times.... why can’t 3 officers subdue one male? I truly need answers y’all comment on everything else......

Ryan Wood @ByRyanWood
Aaron Rodgers asked about the Jacob Blake shooting: "As a non-police officer, I think a lot of us natural question is, 'When is lethal force necessary?' And I think that goes to a systematic problem."

Tom Silverstein @TomSilverstein
Rodgers said the reality he grew up with is different than the reality of many of his teammates. "The root of that is systematic," he said.

"And y’all wonder why we say what we say about the Police," Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said in a post on his Twitter account. "Someone please tell me WTF is this???!!! Exactly another black man being targeted. This s--t is so wrong and so sad!! Feel so sorry for him, his family and OUR PEOPLE!! We want JUSTICE"

Bucks guard George Hill shared his thoughts after his team's 121-106 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 4, saying "we shouldn't have came to this damn place to be honest," as he believes playing games has taken attention away from societal issues.

NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
"We're down here playing in the bubble to do things for social justice ... and to see it still going on ... it's just a really messed up situation right now." George Hill speaks strongly about the police shooting of Jacob Blake. (via @MarcJSpears) https://t.co/F5Yw7hOo8a

Kenosha police officers fired multiple gunshots into the back of Blake, a Black man, in front of his three children, who were in a car nearby. He has been hospitalized and is considered in serious condition with life-threatening injuries.

The incident was captured on video and has sparked protests in Wisconsin.

"While we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country," Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said in a statement.

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The shooting comes amid worldwide protests against racial injustice that followed the May killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, by police in Minneapolis.

Top players in the NFL, NBA and other sports leagues have taken part in these protests and have used their platforms to help create change.

The leagues have also gotten involved in the protests, with the NBA allowing players to replace their names with social justice phrases on the back of their uniforms. Donovan Mitchell has worn "Say Her Name" on his jersey, referencing Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police officers in Louisville, Kentucky, in March.

The WNBA has also provided tributes to Taylor during its 2020 season.

Kenny Stills had been one of the first NFL players to join Colin Kaepernick in kneeling during the national anthem as a protest against racial injustice and police brutality. While the NFL had been against the protest in the past, commissioner Roger Goodell admitted the league was wrong in not listening to players.