San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich curiously opted not to kneel during the national anthem prior to his team's match versus the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

The act of kneeling has become a form of protest to denounce racism and police brutality, popularized by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

The issue became a hot topic in the NBA after Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac became the only NBA player so far to stand during anthem, which he did prior to his team's win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.

Pop, 71, chose to follow Isaac's cue and also remained on his feet while the “Star Spangled Banner” played in the background.

“I prefer to keep that to myself,” the Spurs coach told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk when asked about his stance on the matter.

“Everybody has to make a personal decision. The league has been great about that. Everybody has the freedom to react any way that they want. For whatever reasons that I have, I reacted the way I wanted to.”

Gregg Popovich also recently talked about the country's state of racial unrest, which he called “America's national sin.” 

While Pop is certainly a staunch supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, his latest choice may seem controversial for some. However, given the advanced age of the Spurs boss, his decision might be more related to health concerns rather than sending a message.

Popovich's Spurs, on the other hand, kept their playoff hopes alive on Friday after defeating the Sacramento Kings, 129-120, in their bubble opener. DeMar DeRozan and Derrick White combined for 53 points to overcome DeAaron Fox's game-high 39 markers for the Kings.

San Antonio improved to 27-36 (12th in the West), but they are still on the outside looking in of the playoff picture. They take on the eight-seeded Memphis Grizzlies next on Tuesday.