Watch: Heat national anthem singer takes knee, wears Black Lives Matter shirt
Denasia Lawrence sang the national anthem before Friday night's Miami Heat preseason game and took a knee while performing the “Star Spangled Banner” as she wore a Black Lives Matter t-shirt.
The demonstration has popped up throughout the NFL and other sports after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel in protest and raise awareness for racial injustice in America.
Watch Lawrence take a knee below:
The Miami Heat issued the following statement after Lawrence's demonstration:
"We were unaware of it ahead of time."
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NBA stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry have voiced their support for Kaepernick's protest but have decided to stand during the national anthem at games.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also addressed the issue on Friday.
“All I can say is what we’ve seen in multiple preseason games so far is our players standing for the national anthem,” Silver said in a press conference. “It would be my hope that they would continue to stand for the national anthem. I think that is the appropriate thing to do.”
