Black Lives Matter: Protests in sports

US basketball teams in the NBA boycotted their playoff games out of protest against the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Women players in the WNBA followed with their own protest, as did players from Major League Baseball.

After the first game in Major League Soccer went ahead as planned on Wednesday, the remaining five scheduled contests were postponed. MLS players have shown solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement since the league resumed play at the beginning of July.

Two-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka withdrew from a WTA tennis event in New York ahead of next month's US Open, leading the tournament to pause indefinitely. "As a Black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tenns," Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka said in a statement posted on Twitter.

Since resuming its season, the NBA has demonstrated solidarity with the "Black Lives Matter" movement. All participants have been wearing shirts or sweatshirts bearing the slogan and have been kneeling before tipoff. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James (second from right) points to the sky in recognition of the victims of police brutality.

The originator of the "take a knee" protest is ex-NFL star Colin Kaepernick (center). He first knelt during the US national anthem to protest police violence against African Americans. President Donald Trump voiced his outrage over the protest, and Kaepernick couldn't find another team after his 49ers release. "I wish we had listened earlier to Kaep," NFL commissioner Roger Godell said recently.

After the death of 46-year-old Black man George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May, the "Black Lives Matter" movement spread outside to sports outside the US. Bundesliga football players have displayed their solidarity, such as Bayern Munich players Thomas Müller (left) and Alphonso Davies (right) before a game against Leverkusen in June.

SGS Essen player Nicole Anyomi celebrated a goal against Tribune Potsdam with a "take a knee" pose. "We are in 2020 and racism and injustice still prevails," Anyomi told DW. "We have to be active and raise our voice and speak out. If something happens you can't just stand by, look on and say nothing."

The English Premier League paused 100 days due to the coronavirus pandemic. When the players were finally allowed to return to the empty stadiums, they too sent a clear signal against racism, like during this game between Aston Villa and Sheffield United.

Protests against police brutality towards Black people also took place in many other sports worldwide. The West Indies cricket team knelt before a test match in Manchester against England.

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton never gets tired of reminding his colleagues that just showing solidarity, like before the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix — is not enough. "Your silence is still deafening," Hamilton wrote on his Instagram page in June. "You may not be racist in your silence but we need you to be ANTI-racist." Hamilton's Mercedes team is driving black cars this season.

When Bayern Munich won the Champions League to complete their treble, David Alaba (left) used the opportunity to make a religious and political statement. The front of his sleeveless T-shirt read "My strength lies with Jesus," and on the back "Black Lives Still Matter."