Kenny Smith walked off the set of "Inside the NBA" in support of players deciding to boycott Wednesday's players games.
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00:00 I don't know if I'm even appropriate enough to say it
00:03 what the what the players are feeling and how they're feeling and
00:08 I haven't talked to any of the players
00:12 I'm just like coming in even like driving here and getting into into the into the studio
00:17 hearing calls and people talking and
00:20 For me, I think the biggest thing now is to kind of as a black man as a former player
00:29 I think it's best for me to support the players and just not be here tonight
00:35 And I respect that
00:57 Akil well as you can see we all thank you guys for taking time to stay here with us
01:04 We're sorry that it took a little bit more time
01:07 But we thought it would be best for us as a team to brainstorm a little bit educate ourself
01:13 And not rushing to having wrong emotion give you guys things like that. So
01:18 on behalf of ourself and our team we were going to place a statement as a team today and go back and continue to
01:27 Educate ourself and get better awareness of what's going on and then speak to you guys later. So we'll come up with a statement now
01:34 Team statement
01:37 The past four months have shared a light on the ongoing racial injustices facing our african-american community
01:42 Citizens around the country have used their voices and platforms to speak out against these wrongdoings
01:47 Over the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin
01:51 we've seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha and
01:57 the additional shooting of
02:00 Protesters despite the overwhelming plea for change there has been no action. So our focus today cannot be on basketball
02:07 When we take the court and represent Milwaukee in Wisconsin
02:11 We are expected to play at a high level give maximum effort and hold each other accountable
02:16 We hold ourselves to that standard and in this moment, we are demanding the same from lawmakers and law enforcement
02:22 We are calling for justice for Jacob Blake and demand the officers be held accountable
02:27 for this to occur it is imperative for the Wisconsin State Legislature to reconvene after months of inaction and
02:35 Take up meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability
02:39 brutality and criminal justice reform
02:43 We encourage all citizens to educate themselves take peaceful and responsible action and remember to vote on November 3rd
02:51 This is a landmark moment in NBA history and in sports history
03:07 When I think about the NBA and I've been doing this for 30 years as the host on TNT
03:14 but I think back to 91 and
03:16 magics announcement about HIV I
03:19 think about
03:21 2014 and Adam Silver in one of his first acts as the commissioner of the NBA in response to the
03:27 racist comments of Donald Sterling the owner of the Clippers
03:31 when he stood at the podium and said that Donald Sterling is banned for life from any association with the
03:39 NBA and
03:41 Then I watched today and it wasn't a statement made at a podium. It was a statement made by
03:48 Just not taking the court the Orlando magic were warming up on the floor. The Milwaukee Bucks never came out of the locker room
03:56 and
03:58 This look if you're if you're saying, you know
04:02 Social issues and sports, you know, keep them separate. Look those days are long gone
04:07 Sports and society are intertwined like never before on this moment today when the Milwaukee Bucks said
04:17 No after seeing what happened in Kenosha with Jacob Blake
04:21 Basketball is a game and
04:28 This is real life and
04:30 Real life takes precedence and the Bucks have said that
04:33 Orlando then went with them down that same path
04:38 And does not surprise me a bit that the other two games tonight
04:42 will not be played because
04:45 There was a solidarity here in this league and I don't know when they're going to play again
04:52 I don't have that answer, but I know that this
04:56 This was just a statement that resounds not only through the NBA but through the world of sports