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 on Thursday to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
It was the first protest during the national anthem since Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refused to represent “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the 1990s, when he played for the Denver Nuggets.
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By kneeling, the players followed a precedent set by NFL free agent 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 will make Kap proud,” according to USA Today.
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“Kap was someone who stood up when the times were not comfortable,” added James, according to the Los Angeles Sentinel. “When people didn’t understand … it had absolutely nothing to do with the flag, he explained that and people never listened. I did! We just thank him for sacrificing everything he did. “
Players, coaches, and referees violated a long-standing rule that has been in place in the NBA since the 1980s, requiring players to uphold the national anthem. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver seemed to support the players’ peaceful protest. He made a statement after the Jazz and Pelicans protest before their game.
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“I respect the unified act of peaceful protest by our teams for social justice and, in these unique circumstances, I will not enforce our old rule that requires us to remain during the execution of our national anthem,” said Silver, according to The New York Times.
