From Newsgroup: alt.sports.basketball.nba

KISSIMMEE, Fla. u After kneeling during the national anthem on the
opening night of the NBAAs bubble restart, LeBron James dedicated the coordinated social justice demonstration to former NFL quarterback
Colin Kaepernick.

James, who led the Los Angeles Lakers past the Clippers, 103-101, at
the Arena at Disney World on Thursday, said Kaepernick otaught me a
loto about the protest issue. Kaepernick, once a star quarterback with
the San Francisco 49ers, has not played in the NFL since the season he
began protesting police brutality by taking a knee during the national
anthem in 2016.

oI hope we made Kaep proud,o James said. oI hope we continue to make
Kaep proud every single day. I hope I make him proud on how I live my
life, not only out on the basketball floor but off the floor.o

The Lakers and Clippers donned oBlack Lives Mattero shirts and locked
arms before their contest in a unified demonstration. Every player on
both teams participated, as did the coaches and referees. A similar demonstration took place involving members of the Utah Jazz and New
Orleans Pelicans earlier Thursday.

The 35-year-old James, who has been outspoken on political issues
dating back to Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner, called for the
Louisville police officers who shot Breonna Taylor to be arrested last
week. After recently praising Rep. John Lewis (whose funeral was held Thursday) for teaching him to onever be afraid of conflict, good
conflict, positive conflict that can create change,o James said he
appreciated KaepernickAs willingness to take a polarizing stand and to
clearly state his motives, even when critics suggested kneeling was disrespectful to the military or un-American.

oKaep was someone who stood up when times werenAt comfortable, when
people didnAt understand, when people refused to listen to what he was saying,o James said. oIf you go back and listen to his postgame
interviews when he was talking about why he was kneeling, it had
absolutely nothing to do with the flag. It had absolutely nothing to do
about the soldiers, the men and women that keep our land free. He
explained that, and the ears were closed. People never listened. They
refused to listen. I did. A lot of my people in the Black community did listen.o


NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday that he would not enforce a olong-standing rule requiring standing during the playing of our
national anthemo because of othese unique circumstances.o

Before the bubble openers, NBA players had not knelt during the
national anthem in the post-Kaepernick era. Back in 1996, Mahmoud
Abdul-Rauf was suspended for one game for failing to stand during the
anthem.

oWe thank [Kaepernick] for sacrificing everything he did to put us in a position today, even years later, to have that moment that we had
tonight,o James said.

Multiple players who participated in the demonstrations called them oemotional,o and National Basketball Players Association Executive
Director Michele Roberts applauded the Nuggets and Pelicans. She later
said in a statement that she was overy proudo of the osober, powerfully movingo and oheartfelto demonstration.

Even so, the NBA community seemed to be bracing for the possibility of political blow back. President Trump, a longtime critic of players who
kneel during the anthem, said earlier this month that othe game is over
for meo when it happens because the action amounts to oa sign of great disrespect for our Country and our Flag.o


Pelicans guard JJ Redick defended the collective kneeling from
potential critics who might believe the players were politicizing the
anthem.

oThe majority of Americans want social justice, real equality and to
end police brutality,o Redick said. oThe polls back that up. Politics
and sports coexist now. The league has recognized that.o

James, meanwhile, said he would offer no preemptive response to
potential critics.

oThereAs always going to be people who donAt agree with what youAre
doing,o he said. oNo matter what you do in life, youAre always going to
have people try to pick apart whatever you do. If youAre passionate and
true and authentic to whatever your cause is, then it doesnAt matter. I couldnAt care less about the naysayers. IAve been hearing it for too
long.o


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