Giannis Antetokounmpo has opened up about the Milwaukee Bucks' group phone call with Jacob Blake's father following their Game 5 boycott earlier this week.
The Bucks refused to play their playoff game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night in protest of the shooting of a 29-year-old Black man last weekend in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a uniformed police officer in the city, which is about 40 miles from Milwaukee.
Three NBA playoff games were among the sporting events postponed during the week, but the postseason resumed on Saturday as the Bucks completed a 4-1 series win over the Magic.
Speaking after the playoff victory, NBA MVP Giannis told reporters about the Bucks' emotional phone call with Blake's father - Jacob Blake Sr.
"I'll try and keep it private what we talked about, but one thing that moved me as a human being was that if you really want to accomplish something and get something done, you can.
"We were able to get his family's number within like 30 minutes. We came together as a team, we were in a circle talking to his dad and his dad was tearing up, telling us how powerful what we did on that day was for him and his family.
"That's bigger than basketball to me. Obviously there is going to be games coming where you score 30 points, 35, 50, whatever the case might be, but that, that you're going to remember.
"What we felt, we're going to remember the way we felt for the rest of our lives."
He added to reporters: "It was unacceptable. I was able to talk to his family, we talked to his family as a team. It's tough, it's tough.
"We were able to feel what they were feeling. We talked to his dad, I think that was one of the biggest things I've done as a basketball player in the bubble so far.
"It was powerful, it touched me as a person. Things like that going on in Wisconsin, out in the street, in the city we represent, it's unacceptable. Things like this cannot happen back home."
Jacob Blake Sr told CNN earlier this week that the Bucks had sent his son a jersey.
"The thing that made him smile was the Milwaukee Bucks. That made him smile, and I'm from Chicago. But now I am truly a Milwaukee Bucks fan because they reached out to my son, sent a jersey that was signed by the whole organization," he said.
LeBron buoyed by rapid action
LeBron James hailed the rapid progress made in fight for social justice following the NBA players' decision to boycott playoff games
James and his Lakers team-mates returned to action on Saturday night for Game 5 of their first round playoff series with the Portland Trail Blazers and took the opportunity to close out the series with a 131-122. They advance to face the Houston Rockets or Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semi-finals.
James produced 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the victory - his 13th (an NBA record) 30-plus-point triple-double - and received support from Anthony Davis' 43 points.
But in a post-game interview, James was more concerned with discussing what had been achieved by the players off the court over the last few days than his performance on it.
"It is great when you can put together a plan and have action executed. That's what we have been able to do over the last few days," he said.
"With solidarity, we stood with our brothers from Milwaukee on the situation going on in their home town. We stood with them as a league. And then we put together a plan and we had action. We want to continue that.
"It is great to be back on the floor but more importantly it is great to have a game plan, be able to execute it and them put it into action right away."
Asked if he had harboured doubts that the playoffs would resume following the postponement of games on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, James admitted: "There was some doubt. But when you are able to put together a plan that is very important that can change the landscape on and off the floor, you can have more clarity.
"Myself, I had more clarity and every other player in this league had more clarity on us going forward with the initiatives put together over the last few days."