Are NBA Players Still Kneeling?

The NBA has been back for a little over a week now and players have been using their platform to kneel during the National Anthem.

Introduction

Since the 2016 presidential election, more and more professional athletes have been using their platform to kneel in protest against police brutality and racial inequality. The most notable example is NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016. His protests sparked a nationwide movement, with other players following suit.

In the wake of George Floyd’s death this May, the issue of police brutality has once again come to the forefront of public discussion. In response, many NBA players have resumed kneeling during the national anthem. The league has also taken steps to support the Black Lives Matter movement, including painting “Black Lives Matter” on all courts and allowing players to wear social justice messages on their jerseys.

It remains to be seen how long these protests will continue, but it is clear that many players feel strongly about this issue and are using their platform to raise awareness and promote change.

What Caused the NBA Players to Start Kneeling?

NBA players started kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 as a way to protest police brutality and racial inequality. The players who kneeled were following in the footsteps of then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who first took a knee during the national anthem in 2016. The NBA players continued to kneel during the 2017-2018 season, and the issue came to a head when Donald Trump criticized the players for their protests.

Police Brutality

The NBA players began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 as a way to protest police brutality. Basketball players, like all other athletes, have always been role models to kids and adults alike. For many people, they are looked up to and respected. So, when NBA players started taking a stand against police brutality, it caught a lot of attention.

The issue of police brutality has been brought to the forefront of many people’s minds in recent years, especially with the rise of social media. atrocity committed by law enforcement officers is now more likely to be captured on video and shared widely online. This has helped raise awareness of the problem, but it has also led to more tension between the police and the communities they are meant to serve.

The kneeling protest was started by then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. He chose to sit during the national anthem before a preseason game in 2016 as a way to call attention to the treatment of black people by police officers in the United States.

Other players soon joined Kaepernick in his protest, and it quickly spread throughout the league. Some players chose to kneel while others raised their fists during the anthem. The message was clear: these athletes were using their platform to draw attention to an important issue and they were not going to stop until something was done about it.

Unfortunately, not everyone agreed with the players’ decision to kneel. There was a lot of backlash from people who saw it as disrespectful to the flag or to military members who had fought for our country. President Donald Trump even weighed in on the issue, calling for any player who knelt during the anthem to be fired from their team.

The Players Association (the union for NBA players) released a statement supporting the right of players to peaceful protest. They also noted that many players had chosen to take other actions in addition to kneeling, such as working with local organizations or speaking out on social media.

Eventually, Trump’s rhetoric died down and the protests continued quietly throughout the season. In 2018, however, there was a resurgence of interest in the issue when several high-profile athletes spoke out against police brutality following the shooting death of an unarmed black man in Minnesota.

Players like LeBron James and Steph Curry used their star power to bring attention back to the issue, and once again athletes around the league began kneeling during the anthem as a way of showing solidarity with those who had been affected by police violence.

It remains to be seen how long this latest wave of protests will continue, but one thing is certain: The NBA players who have chosen to kneel are not backing down anytime soon.

Racism

The original reason that NBA players started kneeling was to protest police brutality and racism. Player Colin Kaepernick first kneeled during the national anthem in 2016, and other players soon followed suit. The protests became more widespread after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in 2020. While some players have stopped kneeling, others continue to do so in order to bring attention to these important issues.

The NBA’s Response to the Kneeling

The kneeling movement began in 2016, when then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. He was joined by a small number of other players, and the movement gained steam over the next few years. In 2020, the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers sparked fresh protests, and the kneeling movement reignited. Players across the league knelt during the national anthem, and the NBA became a leader in the fight for social justice.

Supporting the Players

Since the original kneeling by Colin Kaepernick in 2016, many NBA players have joined in on the protests. While some people see this as a controversial act, with many seeing it as disrespectful to the flag, many others see it as a way for these players to use their platform to support a cause they are passionate about. In the past few years, we have seen less and less players kneeling during the national anthem, with many teams instead opting to make statements of support for the Black Lives Matter movement in other ways.

One example of this is when the Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the court for their playoff game against the Orlando Magic in 2020. This was in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man who was shot by police seven times in the back while walking away from them. The entire NBA playoffs were put on hold for a day as other teams considered following suit. In the end, only three games were postponed, but it was a strong statement from the league and its players.

Many players have also used their post-game press conferences to speak about social justice issues and call for change. LeBron James has been one of the most vocal players on this front, using his platform to speak out against police brutality and systemic racism. Other players, like Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard, have also been vocal about their support for social justice causes.

It is clear that NBA players are still very passionate about using their platform to support causes they believe in, even if that means risking potential backlash from fans or sponsors.

Fining the Players

The NBA has fined players for kneeling during the national anthem, saying it is “clear” they must stand when The Star-Spangled Banner is played before games.

Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement on Saturday that “it is my expectation” that players will stand for the anthem.

“However, we understand that this is a complicated issue and will continue to have dialogue with our players,” Silver added.

The league’s new directive comes after several high-profile protests by players during the anthem in recent weeks, including several who have kneeled.

The Players’ Response to the Fines

In response to the fines, many players have spoken out against the league. Some have said that they will continue to kneel despite the fines, while others have said that they will find other ways to protest. For example, players on the Brooklyn Nets have said that they will wear shirts reading “Standing for Those Who Can’t” during warm-ups.

Conclusion

The short answer is no, NBA players are no longer kneeling during the national anthem. The practice became widespread following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, with many players using the platform to protest police brutality and racial injustice. However, once the 2020-2021 season began, the majority of players chose to stand for the anthem. There have been a few exceptions, but overall the trend has been for players to stand.