LOS ANGELES (AFP)–Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant said he would kneel during the pre-game national anthem if he was still playing in the NBA.
Bryant, appearing on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast released on Wednesday, responded during a series of rapid-fire questions “kneel” when asked what he would do.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said he expects the players in the league to stand during the anthem, and the league issued a memo to teams offering suggestions on how they might address the current political climate when the season opens this month.
Demonstrations during the anthem have become a hot topic across sports after US President Donald Trump bitterly criticized NFL players who declined to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner” to draw attention to racial injustice.
Bryant himself weighed in on Trump’s remarks last week via Twitter.
“A #POTUS whose name alone creates division and anger. Whose words inspire dissension and hatred can’t possibly “Make America Great Again”,” Bryant tweeted.
Bryant retired in 2016 after two decades with Los Angeles where he won five NBA championships.
In their pre-season games so far, the Lakers have stood with locked arms during the anthem.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Hornets shooting guard Nicolas Batum will miss at least six to eight weeks after tearing a ligament in his right elbow, the NBA club said Thursday.
The French guard could miss even more playing time with the injury that occurred 34 seconds after the start of Wednesday’s pre-season game against the Detroit Pistons.
Batum was clearly in pain as he left the court.
“He just got tangled up,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “It was one of those kind of contact/collision plays where his arm got stuck between two guys. He was in a lot of pain.”
Batum averaged 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists last season in his second campaign with Charlotte.
He is entering the second season of a five-year, $120 million contract.