Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Speaks on Colin Kaepernick’s Protest During National Anthem

In a special article for the Washington Post on Tuesday, Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar defended San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his decision to sit during the national anthem.  

Abdul-Jabbar compared Kaepernick’s protest to American pole vaulter Sam Kendricks, who stopped in the middle of one of his attempts at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro to honor the national anthem. The former Lew Alcindor called both acts “highly patriotic” and said they should “make all Americans proud.”

Kaepernick had the following to say when asked about his choice to abstain from standing during The Star-Spangled Banner, per NFL.com’s Steve Wyche: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

The 19-time NBA All-Star stood behind …

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