The NBA league office late Friday sent a memo to teams reinforcing the rule that players and coaches must stand for the national anthem, and suggesting other ways in which teams might address the recent protest movement sweeping across the NFL and other sports, according to a copy of the memo obtained by ESPN.
The memo, distributed by deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, instructs teams that "the league office will determine how to deal with any possible instance in which a player, coach, or trainer does not stand for the anthem." The memo states that individual teams "do not have the discretion to waive" the rule that players, coaches, and staff must stand for the anthem. The league has the discretion to discipline players who violate the rule.
In addition, the memo reportedly outlined alternative things players and teams could do besides kneeling during the anthem.
In the memo, Tatum suggests teams might address the current political climate by having players and coaches give a joint pregame address. "This could include a message of unity and how the team is committed to bringing the community together this season," the memo states. The memo also suggests teams might prepare a video tribute or public service announcement featuring "team leadership speaking about the issues they care about."
Throughout the past weeks, NBA players, including stars such as LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Chris Paul, have grown more and more comfortable in criticizing both President Trump and the current societal and political state of the country.
Should a player or team decide to protest during the anthem, it will be quite interesting to see how the NBA handles it, and what punishment they decide to hand out.
