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NBA News and Notes
(1:57)
NBA players plan to kneel during the national anthem on the opening nights of the season restarted at Disney World, according to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. That decision was instigated after a meeting of the teams that stayed at the Big Destination Tower: the Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, Raptors, Celtics, Nuggets, Jazz and Heat. Among those teams, the Lakers, Clippers, and Jazz play the first night of the restart, July 30. The only other team that plays that night is the New Orleans Pelicans. It is unclear if they were involved in the meeting or the decision.
Technically, kneeling during the national anthem is not allowed by NBA rules. No NBA player did so when Colin Kaepernick initially began protesting against police brutality and racial inequality. Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the possibility of kneeling in June and did not clarify whether or not the NBA would amend its rules to reflect the current social justice environment.
“I’m not comfortable with the word ‘allow,'” Silver said. “I think we have had a rule in our books dating back to the early 1980s that even predates David Stern’s tenure as commissioner calling players to stand in line and pay attention during the national anthem. I also understand the role of protest and I think we will deal with that situation when it comes up. “
The NBA has traditionally been more socially conscious than most American professional sports leagues, and a coalition of players was formed to restart the discussions in an effort to further promote social justice and diversity within the power structure of the league. The courts in Orlando have the words “Black Lives Matter” painted on them, and players can wear approved social justice messages on the back of their shirts when the season restarts.
Those steps are a start, but the league still has a long way to go. Some players have been disappointed by the approved message list, and while that coalition is pushing for changes to be made, the league has yet to announce any major changes intended to help more diverse candidates land manager and executive roles. . Now the players are taking a step that, up to this point, they had avoided. That was to be expected given the activism many players have engaged in since protests against systemic racism began in early summer, but it is still unprecedented in NBA history.
