NBA stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry will not emulate
the US national anthem protest by American football player
Colin Kaepernick.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kaepernick, 28, has been
refusing to stand for the anthem in protest against the plight
of black people.
The NBA has a rule stating players must stand for the national
anthem. Cleveland Cavaliers' James, 31, said it "doesn't mean I don't respect and don't agree with what Kaepernick is doing". He added: "Standing for the national anthem is something I will do.
"You have the right to voice your opinion, stand for your
opinion and he's [Kaepernick] doing it in the most peaceful
way I've ever seen someone do something."
Golden State Warriors' guard Curry, 28, praised Kaepernick's
actions, adding: "I respect everybody's voice, everybody's platform. Kaepernick took a bold step to continue the conversation."
Racial tensions are mounting in the US, where a string of
recent police killings and subsequent revenge killings have
sparked protests across the nation.
Father-of-three James said he feared for the safety of his
own children when he watched reports of shootings.
"My son had just started the sixth grade," he added.
"You see these videos that continue to come out, it's a scary
situation. If my son calls me and said if he got pulled over I'm
not that confident that things are gonna go well and my son
is going to return home."
Despite its rule on standing for the national anthem, the NBA
has written to players saying it wants to work with them on
how to address the issue ahead of the start of the season on
25 October.
Photo credit: BBC sport
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