Pistons, Bucks Kneel on Court After Opening Tipoff in Wednesday's Game

The Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons took a knee on the court at Fiserv Forum immediately following the opening tipoff of Wednesday's matchup:

After the Bucks won the tip, Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo pushed the ball out of bounds and players from both teams remained in their position at center court and dropped to a knee for 10 seconds. 

The demonstration followed Tuesday's announcement from Kenosha (Wisconsin) District Attorney Michael Graveley that no charges will be filed after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, as well as the storming of the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

Police officer Rusten Sheskey was captured on video in August shooting Blake, a Black man, in the back seven times. 

In the wake of the shooting, the Bucks led a protest during the NBA postseason inside the league's bubble in Orlando, Florida, which led to the team opting not to take the court for a playoff game. Other teams followed until the NBA postponed games for three days before players agreed to resume only after the NBA made multiple social justice commitments, including using arenas as voting centers for the 2020 general election and forming a social justice committee.

The team released a statement on Tuesday reiterating its condemnation of excessive use of force by police and its commitment to address issues of social justice:

The Pistons and Bucks were not the only teams to demonstrate on Wednesday. The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat released a joint statement on the Blake decision and the Capitol breach before taking a knee during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner prior to their game, and the Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns locked arms during the anthems ahead of their contest.