As a sign of peaceful protest, all players and coaches on the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks kneeled during the U.S. national anthem prior to Friday’s game at the NBA “bubble” in Florida.
The demonstrations are designed to call attention to concerns related to racial injustice and police brutality within the United States. Players for both teams wore “Black Lives Matter” shirts over their team jerseys during game warm-up activities and while kneeling. (Black Lives Matter is also inscribed on all of the basketball courts used at the NBA restart.)
NBA players are hoping that the platform and large television audience of the league’s restart will help further promote the growing U.S. social justice movement, which rapidly picked up steam after George Floyd’s death in late May. Eight members of the Rockets are also showing their support by wearing social justice messages on the backs of their jerseys.
The #Mavs and #Rockets kneel together during the national anthem tonight in solidarity, supporting racial equality and social justice. pic.twitter.com/kUQFbvTEdh
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) August 1, 2020
Technically, the league has a long-standing rule prohibiting players from kneeling for the national anthem. However, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed Thursday that he will not enforce that rule, citing the “unique circumstances” of this moment in history.
Friday’s contest was the first regular-season game for both the Rockets (40-24) and Mavericks (40-27) since the NBA suspended its 2019-20 season in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver on both teams kneeling tonight:
“I respect our teams’ unified act of peaceful protest for social justice and under these unique circumstances will not enforce our long-standing rule requiring standing during the playing of our national anthem.”
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 30, 2020