Kyle Korver: Bucks 'Trying to Stand for What's Right' After Jacob Blake Protest

Milwaukee Bucks guard Kyle Korver said his team is "trying to stand for what's right" amid ongoing protests against systemic racism and social injustice, per ESPN's Eric Woodyard. 

The Bucks began a wave of protests across American professional sports last week when they did not take the court for Game 5 of their first-round series against the Orlando Magic. Other teams and players across the NBA, WNBA, MLB, MLS and tennis did not take the court or field in solidarity.

The Bucks' efforts were in protest of systemic racism and police brutality sparked most recently by the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who was shot seven times in the back by police trying to detain him in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

With that in mind, Korver spoke about the team's recent push to get a package of police policy bills passed in the Wisconsin state legislature.

He expressed disappointment in recent actions taken by the state legislature on that front. Per Woodyard, Gov. Tony Evers called a special session to discuss the bills, but the Republican-led legislature "started and recessed in less than 30 seconds—satisfying requirements of the law that they meet."

Korver talked about his team's role in the process: "I think watching what happened [Monday] was disappointing with our legislature gaveling in and gaveling out. It was disappointing. Surely, there are things to talk about right now, right? Like surely there are things that our state needs leadership in and how can we be better?"

Korver added:

"We're getting so sidetracked with the narratives that people are trying to create. Our team is trying to stand in the middle. We're trying to be a bridge and I think we're all disappointed in what happened yesterday. We can only control what we can control and we have a big series that we're in.

"We're trying to do both, but we're trying to stand in the middle. Sport has always had that opportunity. So, we're trying to partner with the other teams in the state and say how can we be leaders? Because we need leadership in our state and our country. We need leadership that is standing for the people.

"We need this right now and we're not getting it. So, we don't want to be pulled one way or the other. We're learning on the fly how to try and be in the middle and it's tough, but that's our heart and I hope everyone knows it in Wisconsin. We're trying to stand for what's right and there are things that need to be addressed in our state."

The bill included, but was not limited to, a ban on police chokeholds and no-knock warrants.

It also called for the creation of uniform statewide guidelines for use of force, a requirement for police to complete eight hours of training annually on use of force and de-escalation and a mandate for all police departments to have their own use-of-force policies, to be made available to the public.

However, the session is still "open," per Woodyard, meaning the legislature can revisit the bill if they so choose at another time.

The Bucks are currently trailing the Miami Heat 1-0 in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Wednesday.