LeBron James, Kevin Durant Show Support for Colin Kaepernick Before Super Bowl
NBA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant showed their support for quarterback Colin Kaepernick, sporting the unsigned signal caller's limited edition "#IMWITHKAP" jerseys on Super Bowl weekend.
James has previously voiced his support for Colin Kaepernick both as an NFL quarterback and as the face of the 30th anniversary of Nike's "Just Do It." campaign. James has worn Kaepernick-exclusive gear before.
Kaepernick shared the photos of both of his fellow Nike athletes on social media, taking to Twitter to thank James and Durant.
"Thank you to my Brother @easymoneysniper for rockin with me, especially this week!" he captioned a photo of the Warriors star in his jersey.
Kaepernick sold the limited edition jerseys in September, with 20% of all proceeds going to the Know Your Rights Camps — a free campaign for youth funded by the former 49ers quarterback to raise awareness on self-empowerment and interacting with law enforcement.
During a press conference in Atlanta earlier this week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about Kaepernick's extended free agency. The six-year veteran has still not been signed to a team since opting out of his contract with the 49ers in March of 2017. Goodell said that clubs, not the league, are the ones who determine the players on their rosters.
Retired wide receiver Terrell Owens shared a story about Goodell's comments with the caption, "FLAT OUT LIE!!!!!" and tagged the NFL's Twitter account.
Kaepernick re-tweeted the reaction.
The 31-year-old quarterback started kneeling during the national anthem in August 2016 to protest racial inequality and police brutality. The protests drew national attention, sparking controversy and debate across the country and within the NFL. Kaepernick has remained unsigned since he opted out of his contract with San Francisco, leading to accusations that he was blackballed for his stances.
The NFLPA filed a grievance against the NFL on behalf of Kaepernick and former 49ers teammate Eric Reid. The lawsuit alleges that team owners and the league, influenced by President Donald Trump, colluded to prevent the player's employment because of protests.
Many athletes and celebrities have spoken out in support of Kaepernick before, but the Super Bowl has been a noted point of contention for the last two seasons.
After Travis Scott was announced as one of this year's Super Bowl halftime performers, reports surfaced that rapper Jay-Z was trying to stop Scott from performing. The elder artist has been critical of the NFL's treatment of Kaepernick and rapped on his most recent album that he turned down performing at the Super Bowl last season for the same reasons.
