Bucks players react to the shootings outside Fiserv Forum: ‘What are we doing?’
Available to speak to reporters for the first time since several shootings injured 21 people following their loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday night, several members of the Milwaukee Bucks spoke up about the violence that erupted a short distance from Fiserv Forum.
“It was scary,” Khris Middleton said. “I had family at the game, I know everybody had family out there, friends out there. It’s definitely sad to hear a shooting like that with so many people gathered just to cheer us on.
“Hopefully we find a way to not let this happen as much or at all, especially in public places or gatherings like this where people come out to celebrate and have a good time with their family and friends.”
Bobby Portis said the players were told by team security that they would not be able to leave the arena for at least 20 to 40 minutes after word of the initial shooting reached club officials.
“It definitely hurts a lot because we embrace this city, we support this city and we try and do our best to make this city as best as we can so obviously it’s hurtful,” Portis said.
“Definitely my heart goes out to all the people that was affected with it.”
Pat Connaughton wore a T-shirt that read “Protect kids not guns” as the team headed to Boston on Saturday. Individual players and the team have not been shy over the years in expressing their views when it comes to events that happen in and around the city and the state.
The Boston Celtics held a moment of silence for the victims of the Milwaukee shootings, as well as the victims of Saturday's mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store.
“I think from what I’ve seen, sports is such a great way to bring the community together," Connaughton said about choosing to wear the shirt. "I’ve said this before, when we won it in Game 6 last year for those three hours nobody cared about race, religion, political, economical, whatever differences. Everyone was rooting for the Milwaukee Bucks. Everyone was having fun. Everybody was partying that we won it, right?
“I think sport has a real unique platform to bring the community together. And, the Milwaukee Bucks themselves, especially in the city of Milwaukee, has a unique platform to bring the community of Milwaukee and the greater state of Wisconsin together. I think in the world that we live in today, it’s important to use your voice to preach trying to do more good.
“I think, weirdly, there’s a lot of negatives that get publicized more than positives. So, how do we kind of change that narrative so that the next generation of student-athletes or pro athletes or community leaders have a chance to continue to change the world for good and find ways to impact their community positively and most importantly bring everybody together and take care of each other and have each other’s backs, kind of like we do here with the Bucks?”
Wesley Matthews, who grew up in Madison and went to college at Marquette University, took a somber tone when reflecting on what happened in Milwaukee on Friday and the mass shootings that followed Saturday in Buffalo and Sunday in Laguna Woods, California.
“It hurt. It hurt,” Matthews said of hearing the news of the violence Friday night. “This is a great city. It’s a great city. There’s great people in it, and I’ve never been to Buffalo but violence, senselessness, there just isn’t a need for it. There isn’t a reason for it.
“My prayers and thoughts are with all the victims and everybody affected by it. You know, it’s gotta stop. It’s gotta stop. There’s so much to life. There’s so much life if we look for it.
“My heart breaks when I hear stuff like that. I just wish better. I want better. I think we all do. You don’t want to worry about walking your dog or being outside with your kid just enjoying the evening. You don’t want to worry about things like that. I guess the message is just violence is not it. It’s not it. My prayers and condolences and thoughts are with all those that are and were affected.
“What are we doing? What are we doing?”
Contact Jim Owczarski at jowczarski@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat at @JimOwczarski or Facebook at facebook.com/JOwczarski.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks players react to shootings outside Fiserv Forum, elsewhere
