The Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans made a crucial statement, collectively kneeling during the national anthem as players, coaches, and staff got down in one knee in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, hoping to bring awareness to social and racial injustice. Naturally, this brings us to Donald Trump.
Pelicans sharpshooter JJ Redick has heard the same rhetoric from President Donald Trump and several right-wing proponents: they will stop watching the NBA if players kneel.
Looking forward to live sports, but any time I witness a player kneeling during the National Anthem, a sign of great disrespect for our Country and our Flag, the game is over for me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 21, 2020
As it turns out, Redick doubts anyone in the league really cares if Trump is an NBA fan or not:
“First of all, I don’t think anybody in the NBA cares if President Trump watches basketball. I couldn’t care less,” JJ Redick told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports on Thursday night after a 106-104 loss to the Jazz. “As far as his base, I think regardless of the specificity of tweeting about the NBA, every tweet of his is meant to divide, every tweet is meant to incite, every tweet is meant to embolden his base. So [last week] was no different.”
NBA players have a strong record of opposing Donald Trump and his regime, so it would stand to reason why JJ Redick said the aforementioned in such confident breath.
Players have taken to wear social justice messages in the back of their jerseys, ranging from “Black Lives Matter” to “Say Their Names,” “Peace,” “Equality,” and others.
The NBA's mantra as a whole is a direct opposite of Trump's social media diatribes, some of which have been regurgitated by people in sports radio, but none within the actual league.
The New Orleans Pelicans and the rest of the NBA are likely to continue kneeling throughout the rest of the season, and they couldn't give a damn whether Donald Trump is watching or not.
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