After Major NBA Protest, Lebron James Says: ‘I Hope We Made Kaep Proud’

OPINION | This article contains commentary which reflects the author's opinion.

By
David Rufful
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OPINION | This article contains opinion. This site is licensed to publish this content.

The NBA is back… and so are their protests.

During a game between the two Los Angeles teams, the Lakers and the Clippers, Lakers star Lebron James led an effort to kneel during the National Anthem.

Every player, coach, and referee joined him arm-in-arm and knelt during the pre-game ceremony, the Daily Caller reports.

Watch:

“The move by James and other players during the second game came after every player on the Jazz and Pelicans kneeled during the anthem Thursday,” the Daily Caller adds.

Look:

After the game, James said he hopes he and his fellow players made former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick proud. Kaepernick first started the Anthem protests.

“I hope we made Kaep proud,” he told ESPN.

The NBA protests follow a similar effort by players and coaches in the WNBA and MLB.

As the Washington Examiner reports, every player from the New York Liberty and the Seattle Storm walk off the hardwood just as the Spar Spangled Banner begins to play on the stadium speakers.

Ahead of games with the San Francisco Giants taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees taking on the Washington Nationals on Opening Day, all players on all four teams took to the field during the pregame ceremony and took a knee in support of the black community and against police brutality.

The Western Journal reports nearly every player remained kneeling for the playing of the National Anthem except one: San Francisco reliever Sam Coonrod.

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The Daily Wire reports NFL Hall of Famer Mike Ditka recently came out against the National Anthem protests.

“If you can’t respect our national anthem, get the hell out of the country,” he said during an interview with TMZ Sports. “That’s the way I feel. Of course, I’m old fashioned, so I’m only going to say what I feel.”

“I think there’s a way you protest and a way you don’t protest. You don’t protest against the flag and you don’t protest against this country who’s given you the opportunity to make a living playing a sport that you never thought would happen,” he continued. “So, I don’t want to hear all the crap. You wanna try it, try it. You don’t, it’s okay.”