There’s some true irony in the NFL, MLB, and NBA players choosing to kneel during the national anthem.
These are some of the most well paid people in America who, through hard work, have come to make something of themselves.
And yet they show contempt for our nation, decrying it as a racist institution.
At Thursday’s game, Lebron James and the entire LA Lakers team chose to kneel during the national anthem to protest “racial injustice.”
Fox News has the latest details on the story:
LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers teammates, along with Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans players, knelt during the national anthem Thursday to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
It was the first protest during the national anthem since Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the 1990s, when he played for the Denver Nuggets.
In kneeling, the players followed a precedent set by free agent NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who started a firestorm in 2016 when he sat and knelt during the national anthem.
James said after the game, “I hope we made Kap proud,” according to USA Today.
“Kap was someone who stood up when times weren’t comfortable,” James added, according to the Los Angeles Sentinel. “When people didn’t understand…it had absolutely nothing to do about the flag he explained that and people never listened. I did! We just thank him for sacrificing everything that he did.”
The players, coaches and referees broke a long-standing rule that has been in place in the NBA since the 1980s, requiring players to stand for the national anthem. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver appeared to support players’ peaceful protest. He made a statement after the Jazz and Pelicans’ protest before their game.
Watch the players protest right here:
Here's what's trending on Twitter on the matter:
The NBA actually has a specific rule on the books stating that players must stand for the national anthem.
But the weak NBA commissioner said he won't enforce the rule!
Yahoo reports on the commissioner's decision:
The NBA is officially back, and it’s restarting with a policy change on player protests.
A bubble season focused on social justice and the Black Lives Matter movement opened with a unified statement from players and referees before both of Thursday’s games.
<p content='Before the evening’s marquee matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers tipped off, players from both teams all took a knee as a rendition of the national anthem by the Compton Kidz Club played on video boards.' data-reactid="22" type="text">Before the evening’s marquee matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers tipped off, players from both teams all took a knee as a rendition of the national anthem by the Compton Kidz Club played on video boards.<p content='Coaches and referees knelt too with LeBron James and Anthony Davis linking arms near midcourt.' data-reactid="23" type="text">Coaches and referees knelt too with LeBron James and Anthony Davis linking arms near midcourt.The show of unity mirrored the protest prior to the earlier matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz.
As a pre-recorded rendition of the national anthem by New Orleans native Jon Batiste played, every player and official on the court took a knee, with some players holding raised fists in the air.
Kneeling during the anthem is technically against NBA rules, but players and officials made their plans to do so clear as a form of protest against police brutality and social injustice.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the subject in a Time 100 talk in June when asked if the league would allow players to take a knee.
“I am not comfortable with the word 'allow,’” Silver said. “I think we have had a rule on our books that goes back to the early '80s that precedes even David Stern's tenure as commissioner that calls for players to stand in a line and attention during the national anthem. I also understand the role of protest, and I think that we'll deal with that situation when it presents itself.”
Silver addressed the rule again directly after tip-off. The NBA will not be enforcing the rule.
“I respect our teams’ unified act of peaceful protest for social justice and under these unique circumstances will not enforce our long-standing rule requiring standing during the playing of our national anthem,” the statement read.
As part of the restart negotiations, players voiced their desire to make social justice a centerpiece of the bubble league in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. All three courts in the bubble are emblazoned with “Black Lives Matter,” and players have the option to wear a social justice message on their uniforms.
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