Stephen Curry said he will most likely stand for the national anthem. Nick Young said he might sit (though he might not be in the NBA).
Will any NBA players follow Colin Kaepernick’s lead in sitting or kneeling for the national anthem this season?
Thunder guard Victor Oladipo, in a Q&A with Russ Bengtson of Complex:I’m sure you’re paying attention to the Colin Kaepernick situation, protesting during the anthem, do you think that’s something that will transfer to the NBA?
Oh, no question. I truly believe it will. Because at the end of the day it’s a sport, and people are gonna be looking at some guys in the NBA to see what they’re gonna do as well. At the end of the day you just control what you can control, so your opinion is your opinion, that’s the beauty of the United States, so, do whatever you feel is best that will help you do whatever you believe.
I think Oladipo is correct. There are just too many players who support Kaepernick for none to stage their own anthem protest.
The NBA has many socially conscious players, and the league is predominantly black. The issues of racism Kaepernick is protesting should not fall to black people to solve, but they are more likely to recognize the issue.
The other question is what happens next. NBA rules explicitly say, “Players, coaches and trainers are to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or on the foul line during the playing of the National Anthem.” I bet the league is making the same assumption as Oladipo and preparing its response.