Will NBA players kneel during the national anthem? Here’s what they’re saying

In the few years since then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick quietly took a knee during a preseason NFL game, the world has dramatically changed. In 2020, a global pandemic has fractured the sports world, while social justice and anti-racism protests are occurring daily following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Black individuals killed by police.

Major League Baseball started on July 23 and featured numerous players kneeling to the sound of Morgan Freeman’s booming voice as the words “Black Lives Matter” leap out from the grass in ballparks. While some players, including Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts, took a knee during the national anthem, will NBA players follow suit when the regular season restarts on Thursday?

If they follow the league’s rulebook, they might not.

“Players, coaches and trainers must stand and line up in a dignified posture along the foul lines during the playing of the American and/or Canadian national anthems,” the rulebook states.

League commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday expressed his thoughts ahead of the season restart.

“The NBA has had a rule on its books that preceded David Stern, which was standing for the national anthem,” Silver told “Good Morning America.” “Having said that, I respect peaceful protest. I’m not sure what our players will do when they come out tomorrow night and we’ll of course address it at the time, but I also understand these are highly unusual times.”

Silver said that he recognizes that the demonstrations are important, especially with a league that’s composed primarily of Black players.

“It’s been part of our history. I think of it as part of the DNA of this league,” he said. “You think of Bill Russell and some of the early players, their activism over the years. Now an issue like the killing of George Floyd comes and you have a league, in the case of the NBA, that is roughly 80% black — similarly with the WNBA. These are issues in terms of racial inequities in society that are near and dear to their hearts. Right at the time that we were making plans to relaunch the season is when the death of George Floyd occurred.

“It frankly nearly prevented us from relaunching the season, given the turmoil and how emotional people were around the league — and around the country, for that matter. It was very important then when we came together to think about what we could do to use this platform to affect change. The messaging is just part of it, but the images show the court saying Black Lives Matter on the floor, plus the players will be wearing messages on their jerseys. Beyond that, we’re working collectively with the 30 NBA teams on a foundation dedicated to economic empowerment, specifically focused on black Americans. This has been a part of the league forever.”

What players are saying

“Players have been meeting over the last couple days in their respective hotels, I’m told, and there is a growing consensus for them to kneel during the national anthem once the NBA restarts its season starting on Thursday,” The Athletic’s Shams Charania said on Tuesday. “Just imagine that picture of all the players in the NBA, or a large sum of them, kneeling for the national anthem. It is a powerful message.”

Players on the WNBA’s Seattle Storm and New York Liberty walked off the court and disappeared into their locker rooms prior to the national anthem when the season started on July 25. Players also dedicated their season to Taylor, a Black woman who was shot and killed by Louisville Metro police after they entered her Kentucky home.

The New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz have announced that they’re planning a joint protest during the national anthem to kick off the restart, ESPN reported. The players are planning to surround the “Black Lives Matter” words painted on the court at Walt Disney World in Florida and kneel together during the anthem.

The Los Angeles Times also reported that the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, and Miami Heat were a part of the group meeting about kneeling on opening night.

On July 23, Lakers star LeBron James addressed Taylor’s death and called for the officers involved to be arrested.

“First of all, I want to continue to shed light on justice for Breonna Taylor and to her family and everything that’s going on with that situation,” James said. “We want the cops arrested who committed that crime. As one of the leaders of this league, I want her family to know, and I want the state of Kentucky to know that we feel for her and we want justice. That’s what it’s all about. What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong.”