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 Media'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 Kaepernick because of the notion that the embattled signal-caller made a sacrifice in order to strive toward the greater good:

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What makes an act truly patriotic and not just lip-service is when it involves personal risk or sacrifice. Both Kendricks and Kaepernick chose to express their patriotism publicly because they felt that inspiring others was more important than the personal cost.

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Kaepernick's choice not to stand during the national anthem could create a public backlash that might cost him millions in future endorsements and affect his value as a player on his team, reducing salary earnings or even jeopardizing his job. If team ticket sales seriously dipped as a result, he would pay for his stance.

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Abdul-Jabbar also attempted to shift the focus toward the cause Kaepernick is fighting for:

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What should horrify Americans is not Kaepernick's choice to remain seated during the national anthem, but that nearly 50 years after [Muhammad] Ali was banned from boxing for his stance and Tommie Smith and John Carlos's raised fists caused public ostracization and numerous death threats, we still need to call attention to the same racial inequities. Failure to fix this problem is what's really un-American here.

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The six-time NBA champion joined Hall of Fame NFL running back Jim Brown in supporting Kaepernick, via NFL Total Access, while many others have disagreed with his actions, including former Niners and current Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Alex Boone, former 49ers and current University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, Niners Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (which you can read about here, here, here and here).         

Despite the backlash, Kaepernick has already made it clear that he intends to continue protesting for the foreseeable future.

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