Former NBA star Metta World Peace has stated that he would not kneel for the national anthem.
” I think everybody deserves to have an opinion. You know, me personally, I wouldn’t kneel either. Ain’t no way I’m not kneeling to anyone,” he told TMZ. “I’m not kneeling to someone I don’t like. I’m not kneeling for forgiveness.
” I just wouldn’t kneel because if I kneel I am submitting to my enemy. I would never kneel to my enemy,” Metta continued.
Orlando Magic’s Jonathan Isaac choose to stand during the anthem — becoming the first NBA player in the league to do so this season. He also did not wear a Black Lives Matter T-shirt over his jersey.
I believe that Black lives matter. A lot went into my decision and part of it is my thought that kneeling while wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt don’t go hand in hand with supporting Black lives. And so I felt like, just me personally and what it is that I believe in, standing on a stance that I do believe that Black lives matter, but I just felt like it was a decision that I had to make and I didn’t feel like putting that shirt on went hand in hand with supporting Black lives,” he said.
The Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac later tore his ACL. He was wheeled off the court in a wheelchair.