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#Post#: 41--------------------------------------------------
Bucks express disappointment in Wisconsin's state legislature as
second-round series rolls on
DIR By: The Referee
Date: September 1, 2020, 7:57 pm
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Eric Woodyard
ESPN-
Disappointment has begun to mount among Milwaukee Bucks players
inside the NBA bubble, and it doesn't have anything to do with
basketball or falling behind 1-0 to the Miami Heat.
The Bucks suffered a 115-104 loss to the Heat on Monday, but on
the same day in Wisconsin, there was also no action taken by the
Republican-controlled legislature on an issue that's important
to the team.
In a special session called by Gov. Tony Evers to pass a package
of bills on policing policies after a Kenosha police officer
shot Jacob Blake, who is Black, seven times in the back,
Republicans started and recessed in less than 30 seconds --
satisfying requirements of the law that they meet.
That didn't sit well with the Bucks, who chose not to play last
Wednesday in protest of Blake's shooting -- a game that was
postponed to Saturday.
"We're trying to find that balance. I think there's things going
on in our country that are more important than basketball and we
all know that. I think watching what happened [Monday] was
disappointing with our legislature gaveling in and gaveling
out," veteran Kyle Korver said. "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? And, I think what we're trying to figure out as a
team is we don't want to be aligned politically. Like sport has
always had the opportunity to be a bridge in life in so many
ways and that's what we're trying to do as a team. We're trying
to be a bridge.
"We're trying to stand in the middle. We're trying to stand for
what's right. We're trying to stand for people, but we're
demanding that our leaders be better. Was there really nothing
to talk about yesterday? And is all that's important in life is
ratings and approval? Like what matters in our country?" he
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."
Per The Associated Press, the bills that Evers wants the
legislature to take up would do a number of things, including:
* Ban the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants by police;
* Create statewide standards for police use of force;
* Require police officers to annually complete at least eight
hours of training on use-of-force options and de-escalation
techniques;
* Require every law enforcement agency to have a use-of-force
policy and make it publicly available online.
Republicans kept the session open rather than adjourning it,
which means they could take action at a later date.
With Monday's loss, the Bucks became the fourth 1-seed to lose
Game 1 in each of their first two series, according to ESPN
Stats & Information. They're the 34th team to do it regardless
of seed under the current playoff format (since 1983-84); only
one of the previous 33 teams went on to win the title (1994-95
Rockets). Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton is focused on
completing his basketball task, but he doesn't view them
speaking up as an issue, either.
"That's what life is about. It's not always just about
basketball. Basketball is a big part of our lives, but off the
court, it affects our lives also," Middleton said. "It's
disappointing to hear the news about how the meeting went
yesterday with the legislature gaveling in and gaveling out in
30 seconds so we just want to keep bringing awareness to that
and hope they did the right thing for the people and just bring
people together. But as far as balancing it all, I think we're
professionals. We know once we step on that basketball court
we've got to take care of that business and not let off-court
issues or whatever it is affect us on the court, but off the
court, we're human beings. We have to do what we need to do."
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer couldn't speak for how all the
players gathered their information or when they became
knowledgeable of the situation, but they did recently have a
conversation on the topic as a team to share thoughts about it.
They're on the same page to bring change, starting within the
state they represent.
"Speaking personally, I think it's really disappointing that the
people we've elected to govern in Wisconsin, the people who
Republicans and Democrats have put in office. We don't claim to
know everything about politics, but it just seems like to get in
a room, to have a conversation, to debate it, to talk about it
... there's lots of things going on in our state, between
COVID-19, social unrest, to come to work, to have conversation,
to have debate, to figure out what is going on," Budenholzer
said. "It seems like there's significant things that need to be
addressed, that need to be considered possible. Governance,
leadership is needed at this time. So, for the leadership to
gavel in and gavel out after 30 seconds is just disappointing.
At the end of the day, it feels like there's work to be done,
and they're not doing it.
"And again, as far as are we capable of staying bipartisan as
people in sports and I think the conversation it is, is that it
doesn't matter whether you're a Republican or Democrat, it seems
like you should be in the chambers, having conversations,
debating."
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