Players from two NBA teams got one knee at the national anthem on Wednesday night after a day of civil unrest in Washington rocked the country and a decision by Kenosha prosecutors not to press charges against police officers involved in the shooting from Jacob Blake.
Most players on the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics opted to get their hang of solidarity before going head-to-head.
Heat and Celtics players kneel during the national anthem
(through @BuienRadarNL)pic.twitter.com/zuwsJNKmQz
– Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 7, 2021
In a joint statement, the two teams expressed their initial hesitation to play in the game given the events of the day, but ultimately decided to do so “to try and bring joy to people’s lives.”
– Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 7, 2021
“We play tonight’s game with heavy hearts after yesterday’s decision in Kenosha, and knowing that protesters in our country’s capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on which side of certain issues they play,” the statement said. .
“The drastic difference between the way protesters were treated last spring and summer and the encouragement given to today’s protesters who acted illegally only goes to show how much more work we need to do.”
The two teams have vowed to keep talking about what they see as wrongdoing.
“We must not forget the injustice in our society, and we will continue to use our voice and our platform to raise awareness of these issues and do everything we can to work for a more equal and just America.”