National Anthem Singer Kneels at NBA Game Because Black Lives Matter
Fearing that the National Basketball Association would suffer major ratings hit like the NFL, Commissioner Adam Silver announced that players would be required to stand during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner last month.
This couldn’t have gone over well in a league that is overwhelmingly comprised of black players and must have been particularly galling to multi-millionaire Trump hater LeBron James, but Silver proved himself to be far smarter than his counterpart Roger Goodell.
But he has no control of the national anthem singers and one went rogue on Friday night during the Brooklyn Nets game against the Orlando Magic.
Singer Justine Skye sang the anthem but then took a knee at the end because you know, #blacklivesmatter – whatever that has even come to mean anymore.
Many in the stands booed as Skye wrapped it up.
The national anthem singer here in Brooklyn took a knee at the end of her performance. More boos than cheers from the fans.
— Brian Mahoney (@briancmahoney) October 20, 2017
According to the Associated Press “Nets’ national anthem singer kneels to finish performance”:
The national anthem singer at the Brooklyn Nets’ home opener took a knee at the end of her performance.
Justine Skye was nearing the completion of the song Friday night when she went to one knee for the finish. There were some cheers, but appeared to be more boos from the crowd at Barclays Center to see the Nets play the Orlando Magic.
Skye, who is black, is a recording artist from Brooklyn for Roc Nation. Rapper Jay-Z, the agency’s founder, was a part-owner of the Nets when they moved to Brooklyn five years ago.
Players from both teams stood along the foul lines during her performance, as NBA players have continued to do. Unlike the NFL, where some players have followed Colin Kaepernick’s lead and taken a knee during the anthem, the NBA has a rule requiring players to stand.
“We recognize that tonight’s national anthem singer kneeled briefly at the end of her performance and we were not aware that she was going to do so,” a Nets spokeswoman said.
Skye posted a video of the performance on her Instagram account , writing that she was “pretty uneasy about singing the anthem and probably won’t ever be invited to sing it again but I had to take a knee for the opening game in my city and let my voice be heard.”
“We will not be silenced,” she wrote, #blacklivesmatter.
The absurdity of the national conniption fit that Barack Obama was constitutionally prohibited from serving as President for life continues… #BlackTantrumsMatter?
As a guy who played basketball in an era when “walking” was actually called and prior to the game morphing into Rugby with an elevated goal, this doesn’t bother me at all; I ceased watching basketball long ago as the “game” became less skill and more physical even while so many of those playing it became abusers and felons. Anyone who claims that only lives of one race “matter” is to be pitied and clearly is a racist.