LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers teammates, together with Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans gamers, knelt in the course of the countrywide anthem Thursday to protest racial injustice and law enforcement brutality.

It was the initially protest in the course of the countrywide anthem considering that Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the 1990s, when he performed for the Denver Nuggets.

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In kneeling, the gamers adopted a precedent set by cost-free agent NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who commenced a firestorm in 2016 when he sat and knelt for the duration of the countrywide anthem.

James mentioned right after the activity, “I hope we manufactured Kap very pleased,” in accordance to Usa These days.

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“Kap was someone who stood up when periods weren’t cozy,” James extra, according to the Los Angeles Sentinel. “When people didn’t have an understanding of…it had absolutely almost nothing to do about the flag he defined that and individuals never listened. I did! We just thank him for sacrificing everything that he did.”

The players, coaches and referees broke a lengthy-standing rule that has been in spot in the NBA given that the 1980s, requiring players to stand for the countrywide anthem. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver appeared to help players’ tranquil protest. He designed a statement just after the Jazz and Pelicans’ protest ahead of their recreation.

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“I regard our teams’ unified act of peaceful protest for social justice and underneath these special instances will not enforce our very long-standing rule requiring standing for the duration of the enjoying of our nationwide anthem,” Silver said, in accordance to The New York Instances.