Bill Walton Says He Stands with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant

Former NBA star Bill Walton respects the work of current players when it comes to standing up for social issues.

Speaking at the NBA Legends Brunch, Walton singled out LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry for following the trend of past players, via NBA TV:

He said these current stars can live in the shadow of "all of the people who gave their entire lives to help somebody else's dream come true."

James and Durant recently discussed a wide variety of topics on Uninterrupted, including social injustice and their opinions about President Donald Trump:

Curry also had a feud with Trump in September when the president rescinded an invitation to the White House for the NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

These players, and others around the league like Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony at the ESPYs, have grown more comfortable discussing social issues.

However, some haven't appreciated these type of discussions from athletes, including Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who told James to "shut up and dribble," via Sports Illustrated.

Still, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver defended the players' speaking up.

"I'm incredibly proud of our players for using the platform they have as players in the NBA and on social media to speak out on issues that are important to them," Silver said Saturday, via Jack Maloney of CBS Sports.