When James Harden wore a mask with an American flag with a thin blue line, often associated with the pro-police movement Blue Lives Matter, he was apparently making a political statement. But the Rockets star says he wore it only out of style.
“I was honestly not trying to make a political statement,” Harden told reporters on Friday. “I honestly used it just because it covered my entire face and my beard.”
The Rockets released a photo of Harden putting on his mask and captioned it “Mask” when he was late for the NBA bubble in Orlando. The NBA also shared it on its official Twitter page.
The mask also represented a Punisher skull, which has often been associated with extreme right-wing extremist groups. Adapted from the Marvel Comics character, the creator of the Punisher has asked police to stop using the logo, saying the character “represents a failure of the justice system.”
Critics of the pro-police symbol have argued that it represented opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement. Harden, however, has remained committed to the latter.
“It is quite simple. As I was speaking (Thursday), I found a way to do it, either with the name on my shirt or another way to show my support for Black Lives Matter, ”said Harden. “So that’s pretty simple. Honestly, in every profession, there are people who do their job at a high level, and then there are bs people. In all professions. That was it. He was not here to make a political statement. “
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