NBA expects players to stand up for national anthem

The National Basketball League (NBA) expects its players to continue standing for the US national anthem, unlike athletes in the National Football League (NFL). The NBA has a rule stressing that players, coaches and members of a franchise must "stand and line up in a dignified posture" during the The Star-Spangled Banner.

Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA, expects the players to continue standing for the anthem. "It's my hope that our players will continue to use that as a moment of unity. Many of our players have spoken out already about their plan to stand for the anthem. And I think they understand how divisive an issue it is in our society right now," Silver said Thursday after a board of governors meeting.

This was evident last year when NBA players continued to respect the anthem despite voicing their support for NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began protesting police brutality towards minorities by kneeling down during the national anthem. Kaepernick got the ball rolling during a preseason game in 2016 when he said, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour."

Will NBA players follow NFL players in anthem protests?

Since then, a plethora of players have followed Kaepernick's lead, irking US President Donald Trump, who recently encouraged NFL owners to "fire players" that lodged protests against the anthem. Trump's controversial remarks have been strongly condemned by athletes and team owners.

"These are highly complex and nuanced issues. One of the core principles of this country is freedom of expression as well. It is my hope, though, that with NBA players, that given the platform that they have -- whether it's the regular engagement they have with the media, whether it's social media, whether it's other opportunities they have to work in the communities -- that they have those opportunities for their voices to be heard," Silver added.

Last week, the NBA and Donald Trump had a tiff over social media after Golden State Warriors All-Stars Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant refused to travel to the White House for the customary champions' visit. Trump withdrew an invitation for the reigning champions even before Golden State took a collective decision. Thereafter, LeBron James called Trump "a bum" via Twitter to rally behind the Warriors.

The NBA, unlike the NFL, has taken an anti-Donald Trump stance from the onset. A day after Trump became the president-elect, several NBA coaches such as Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich and Stan Van Gundy raised concerns about the future well-being of the country. Thereafter, several teams refused to reside in Trump-owned hotels during their travels.