Sure, it’s against the rules for NBA players to kneel during the playing of the national anthem. However, former Lakers great Kobe Bryant says that if he were still playing, he would kneel.
The future Hall of Famer did a podcast with the Hollywood Reporter, in which he said that if he were still playing, he would copy the actions of protesting NFL players, and kneel. Bryant also said that he would tell President Trump to “focus on serving, not leading,” if he had the president’s ear.
After Trump’s speech in Alabama, where he called protesting NFL player’s “SOB’s,” and said he wished to see their team owners fire them, Bryant strongly criticized the president on Twitter:
A #POTUS whose name alone creates division and anger. Whose words inspire dissension and hatred can't possibly "Make America Great Again"
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) September 23, 2017
Of course, Bryant’s hypothetical protest would likely be a one-time occurrence . The NBA has a decades-old rule against any kind of anthem protest. Nor is that likely to change anytime soon. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently repeated his expectation that players stand for the anthem. Silver also reminded players about the NBA’s rules regarding anthem protests.
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