Donald Trump unsurprisingly blasted NBA players for kneeling during the anthem as the NBA resumes play in the Orlando, Florida, bubble, and Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers responded Wednesday to the President’s condemnation of players engaging in such acts.
Appearing on Fox News Wednesday morning, Trump called kneeling during the national anthem “disgraceful,” adding he will “just turn off the game” whenever he sees them doing so.
When asked about Trump’s rhetoric, Rivers defended acts of peaceful protest like kneeling during the anthem by stating, “We know justice is on our side.”
Trump’s take on NBA players kneeling during the pregame ceremony — which has been widespread amid the league resumption — obviously should come as little surprise given his reaction to some members of the San Francisco Giants taking a knee during the anthem in their season-opening game last month.
As far as the NBA is concerned, a majority of players likely share Rivers’ sentiments on the issue and will pay little mind to Trump’s rant. One NBA star went so far as to say last week that he doesn’t think “anybody in the NBA cares if President Trump watches basketball.”
Trump’s derision notwithstanding, NBA players have the full support of the league when it comes to displays of social activism during the resumption of play at the Walt Disney World Resort’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Rivers’ response likely won’t be the last time a member of the NBA community is asked about Trump again focusing on the league and its players. Either way, it’s clear that Trump intends to continue being the polarizing presence in the sports world he has been throughout his presidency.
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