After the chaos at the United States Capitol, the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat thought of boycotting their NBA game on Wednesday night.
The Celtics initially left the court, but ESPN said Boston intended to play after the team had a meeting of players. Both the Celtics and the Heat issued a joint statement on the events that took place on Tuesday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as well as in Washington DC
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“2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed,” said the statement. “We played tonight’s game with a heavy heart after yesterday’s decision in Kenosha, and knowing that protesters in our country’s capital are treated differently by political leaders, depending on which side of certain issues they are on.
“The drastic difference between how the protesters last spring and summer were treated,” they continued, “and the incentive given to today’s protesters who acted illegally only shows how much work we still have to do.”
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The statement continued: “We decided to play the game tonight to try to bring joy to people’s lives. But we must not forget the injustices in our society and we will continue to use our voice and our platform to highlight these issues and do everything we can to work for a more egalitarian and just America. #BLACKLIVESSTILLMATTER. “
The protest against President-elect Joe Biden’s victory erupted in violence, lawmakers were evacuated and barricaded and security forces worked to restore order.
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“I am 59 years old and I have never seen anything like it,” Orlando coach Steve Clifford said on Wednesday when asked about his reaction to events in Washington. “Our country, we are laughing at everyone. From the way we deal with the pandemic to that … it’s a sad day for everyone.”
Many athletes expressed their opinions during the protests that took place in response to the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. And they continued to share their ideas on social media on Wednesday, when protesters reportedly broke glass doors and authorities drew their weapons against a door on the U.S. Capitol.
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“They acted with a winning attitude at all costs,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of the Trump administration. “I don’t know, our world of sports is much less important, obviously. But I always thought that if you operated with an attitude of victory at all costs, it would be a very unsatisfactory ending. And in this situation, a shameful ending. So, I’m looking forward to it. for two weeks from now, as I know a lot of other people are too. “
Joe Biden will open exactly two weeks from Wednesday, January 20th.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.