As expected, players and coaches on both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers took a knee during the national anthem prior to tip-off of what turned out to be a tremendous contest between the two top teams in the Western Conference. Lakers superstar LeBron James raised a close fist while he was on one knee, and said afterward that it was his way of honoring Colin Kaepernick.

In his statement, LeBron James said that he hopes this show of solidarity by the players and the coaches was something that would get a nod of approval from Kaepernick.

It has been a few years since Kaepernick first started taking a knee during the national anthem in NFL games. He was heavily criticized for what was deemed to be an utter sign of disrespect to the flag and everything it represents, with most folks failing to see or hear the message the quarterback was trying to send. Kaep and his actions have now been redeemed completely, with players and coaches — not only in the NBA but in other sports as well — following the example he set a couple of years back.

In his post-game interview, James started by reiterating how he and the rest of the league intend to use the season restart as a platform to fight for social justice. He talked about this first prior to discussing his thoughts on their hard-fought 103-101 victory against the Clippers, which is a clear manifestation of his desire to continue speaking out against any and all forms of racism.