NBA 2020: Gregg Popovich stands; Jonathan Isaac refuses to kneel, wear Black Lives Matter T-shirt

Gregg Popovich is one of the most outspoken coach’s in the NBA when it comes to social issues. On Saturday morning he opted to stand.

Jonathan Isaac took a stand of his own.

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has always been at the forefront of speaking out on social issues.

The longtime NBA coach is as passionate as they come when he speaks out wanting equality in the world and has never held back when talking about President Donald Trump.

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Ahead of his side’s game against the Sacramento Kings, Popovich said he believed sport could help drive change in America’s society

“Considering what’s going on in our country with race, it’s always been our national sin,” he said.

“It’s always been something that has never been faced as well as it should have been. It is a national embarrassment.

“Nothing could be more poignant than to have all the teams here committed to making statements and letting it be known that this has got to change. And not just a little bit.”

Teams before games have come together by wearing “Black Lives Matter” t-shirts and taking a knee during the singing of the national anthem. However as the Spurs and Kings players dropped to one knee, Popovich remained standing.

Gregg Popovich and Becky Hammon are the only two people on the court standing. pic.twitter.com/Zz2XWCKGkm

— Evan Closky (@EvanClosky) August 1, 2020

The Spurs went on to record the 129-120 victory, but after the game the most pressing question thrown in Popovich’s direction related to his decision to not join his team in kneeling.

“I’d prefer to keep that to myself. Everybody has to make a personal decision. The league’s been great about that; everybody has the freedom to react any way they want,” Popovich said.

The decision to remain standing and his post-game response raised eyebrows among NBA fans, but Spurs star DeMar DeRozan backed the legendary coach’s move.

“Everybody have their own right of making a statement. You can’t vilify nobody for not doing what the other group is doing, so, I’m all for it,” DeRozan said.

NBA STAR BECOMES FIRST PLAYER TO STAND

Orlando Magic star Jonathan Isaac became the first player who refused to kneel during the national anthem as the NBA restarted its season.

The league resumed on Friday from a four-month break because of coronavirus and teams showed their support for the Black Lives Matter movement that has swept across the globe.

Every single player wore Black Lives Matter shirts and took a knee during the anthem on day one, but Isaac didn’t follow suit before the Magic’s game against the Brooklyn Nets on day two.

The power forward took a stand — literally — and was the only player not wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt while the anthem was played. Instead, he wore his team trackpants and jersey.

Speaking after the Magic’s 128-118 win, Isaac referenced his religious beliefs while explaining his decision.

“I believe that Black Lives Matter. Kneeling while wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt doesn’t go hand-in-hand with supporting black lives,” he said.

“I support black lives but not that way. My life has been supported by Jesus Christ. The gospel gives us force.

“I knew it was going to be a tough decision, one that people would have questioned. I’ve leaned on God’s word and his plan for me.

“People have opinions, but I took my decision. We’re protesting and doing things to get something done. But we need to see all the things and all the answers are in the word of Jesus.”

Isaac said his teammates respected his decision while Orlando coach Steve Clifford added: “I support him, his teammates support him, the organisation supports him, so that’s part of living in our country.”

Isaac bucked the trend in Orlando.

NBA players have been vocal in their support for racial equality and wanting an end to police brutality in the wake of the shocking death of American man George Floyd while in police custody.

LA Lakers superstar LeBron James has been among the most outspoken stars and he continued to push the message after coming up clutch with the last basket of the game to give his side a two-point win over the Clippers yesterday.

“There’s been progress but in the past when we’ve made progress we’ve let our foot off the gas a little bit,” James said.

“We can’t do that. We want to continue to keep our foot on the gas, continue to push forward, continue to spread love throughout America.

“We’re dealing with a lot of racism, a lot of social injustice, a lot of police brutality. Not only in my neighbourhoods and not only with black people, but with people of colour and it’s something we want to continue to have people’s ears open too.

“We have ears now but we cannot stop.”

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After the majority of Orlando players took a knee, the Magic and their owners released a statement in support of the protest.

“The DeVos Family and the Orlando Magic organisation fully supports Magic players who have chosen to leverage their professional platform to send a peaceful and powerful message condemning bigotry, racial injustice and the unwarranted use of violence by police, especially against people of colour,” the statement read.

“We are proud of the positive impact our players have made and join with them in the belief that sports can bring people together — bridging divides and promoting inclusion, equality, diversity and unity.

“We know this is not about the military, the men and women who serve honourably to keep our communities safe for all, or those who have paid the ultimate price to provide freedom, including freedom of expression. We’re confident the entire Magic family has immense respect for these entities and individuals.

“This is about coming together to end racism once and for all. We are committed to walking alongside our players — today and in the many days ahead — in the pursuit of lasting and impactful change.”