LeBron James, Stephen Curry plan to stand for national anthem
NBA stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry plan to stand during the national anthem this upcoming season despite their vocal support for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel in protest of racial injustice in America.
“First of all, I'm all in favor of anyone—athlete or non-athlete—being able to express what they believe in in a peaceful manner,” James said. “That's exactly what Colin Kaepernick is doing and I respect that. I think you guys know that when I'm passionate about something, I speak upon it. Me standing for the national anthem is something I will do. That's who I am. That's what I believe in. But that doesn't mean I don't respect and don't agree with what Colin Kaepernick is doing.”
Watch James' press conference comments below:
James was one of the four NBA stars that took the stage during the ESPY Awards to speak out about police relations in minority communities.
• How should the NBA handle national anthem protests?
Curry did not speak at the ESPYs but has been supportive of Kaepernick since the NFL preseason. He recently said that he would likely stand for the national anthem and reiterated those plans to the media on Monday.
“I respect Colin because he took a bold step to continue the conversation … but I do plan on standing,” Curry said.
