LeBron James has once again stood up to defend Colin Kaepernick. Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James: NFL owes Colin Kaepernick an apology

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Jun 25, 2020 4:13 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is the latest individual in the sports world calling for the NFL to officially apologize to quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

After NFL commissioner Roger Goodell publicly admitted he and the league were wrong for not listening to players regarding issues of racial injustice and police violence but didn't mention Kaepernick by name, New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins said Goodell and the NFL should apologize to the former quarterback and that Kaepernick should be signed if he wants to return to the league.

James touched upon the subject while speaking with Jason Kelly of Bloomberg Businessweek: "We have not heard that official apology to a man who basically sacrificed everything for the better of this world," James said of Kaepernick.

Kaepernick last played in the NFL during the 2016 season, when he repeatedly knelt during renditions of the national anthem ahead of games to protest police brutality and acts of racism in the United States.

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Akiem Hicks suggested earlier this month that he's among those who believe the NFL unofficially blackballed Kaepernick because of his polarizing demonstrations.

In the wake of the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25, players from around the league have vowed to kneel or otherwise protest if there is an NFL season amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic:

After asking several players over the weekend about the pregame scene in 2020, many are bracing for kneeling at record-setting numbers - and possibly bracing for never-before-scene demonstrations. (With the great @JayHarrisESPN) pic.twitter.com/TPJeklurUc
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 15, 2020

Goodell has backed any team signing Kaepernick, and the QB reportedly has drawn "legitimate interest" from clubs this summer.

Meanwhile, the United States Soccer Federation recently repealed a law that threatened suspensions for players who didn't stand during "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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