Jeremy Lin may follow the lead of Colin Kaerpernick only if it was done collectively. (Photo : Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald/Noam Galai)
Jeremy Lin is aware of the message that Colin Kaepernick is trying to send across in the NFL though it doesn’t look like he will be doing something similar for now. If ever he does, the 29-year-old guard wants it to be a collective effort to render more meaning.
Over at the NFL, Kaepernick has been drawing both positive and negative feedback on his decision to knee each time “The Star-Spangled Banner” was played. All this is part of his stand against police brutality and social injustice, the NY Times reported.
Like Kaepernick, Lin has had his share of alleged discrimination in the NBA. That includes the controversy regarding him being the recipient of hard (flagrant) fouls, something that NBA commissioner Adam Silver dismissed. That said, all Lin could do was hope that the NBA would tighten up game officiating.
Unlike Kaepernick, Lin is not likely to take a knee when the U.S. national anthem is played. While it does not mean that Lin will not take a stand against social injustice, he prefers to go about it with others involved.
Lin is thinking about the row, likely undecided if he would take a knee. He is, however, thankful that there is an increase in awareness and exposure which may eventually result in something big, NY Daily reported.
For his part, Brook Lopez adds that they have had preliminary dialogues on the racial issue. But other than that, there is no indication that Nets players will follow the protest sparked by Kaepernick over at the NFL.
As pointed out by Lin, the whole discrimination issue is unlikely to die down any time soon. The only good thing about it is that awareness is ramped up. As far as resolving the whole issue, it may take some more time to settle.
The NBA opens in a couple of weeks with most teams in training camp. It remains to be seen if players from other teams would send off signals similar to what Colin Kaepernick has started for the San Francisco 49ers.
Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe weigh in on Kaepernick’s protest in the video below.
