BASKETBALL
Bucks' Hill couldn't care less about NBA amid fight against racism
Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill said the NBA is the "last thought on my mind" amid the fight against racism following George Floyd's death.
There have been nationwide protests in the United States after Floyd – an African-American man – died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.
A police officer was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck during an arrest after he was crying out for help as he was handcuffed and pinned to the ground.
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The NBA season, which was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic in March with the Bucks topping the standings, is set to restart via a 22-team format in Orlando, Florida next month.
But Hill talked down the league's planned return in the midst of protests over social injustice and racism in the country.
"I've been working every day since this all started with my body, my game and things like that, but as a whole, I can care less about basketball right now," an emotional Hill said during a video conference on Friday as he shared his own experiences.
"That's like my last worry. That's just the game I'm blessed to play. When the ball goes up in the air, I'm ready to play, I love the competitive side of it, but that's not who I am.
"So, that's my last thought on my mind is basketball. I can care less what's going on. I think there's bigger issues and bigger things to tackle in life right now than a basketball game, but that's just my personal opinion."
"If I didn't have that talent, I possibly would've been that George Floyd. I possibly would've been all my family members that got gunned down in the streets in Indianapolis," Bucks veteran Hill, 34, added.
"So, yes, this for me, it impacts me even more because I've seen the killing going on, and I've seen the police brutality.
"I've seen that my cousin is laying in the street for an hour and a half before another police officer gets there. I've seen that. So, I get emotional because it really hurts. I've got interracial kids, and I'm scared just for my whole life."
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