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Kobe Bryant makes his feelings on national anthem protests crystal clear

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Kobe Bean Bryant has never been a stranger to controversy.

On the court, there have always been questions about his selfishness and whether or not he could ever surpass Michael Jordan.

Off the court, his 2003 sexual assault allegations in Eagle, Colorado have been well chronicled.

Now retired at the ripe age of 39, Bryant doesn’t seem afraid to shy away from hot-button issues.

Case in point, during an interview with ESPN’s TheUndefeated.com, Bryant was asked about national anthem protests in the NFL.

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Interviewed by ESPN’s Jemele Hill for website’s “Dear Black Athlete” segments, Bryant made his feelings on national anthem protests perfectly clear.

“Yeah, I would have participated in [national anthem protests], for sure,” Bryant said.

Unlike the NFL, NBA rules specifically prohibit players from kneeling, sitting or otherwise protesting during the national anthem.

Bryant did, however, seem cognizant of the backlash he would face from everyday Americans who find the act of protesting during the anthem disrespectful.

“I’m sure I would have gotten some flak for it. That’s fine,” he said.

While peaceably protesting is very much Bryant’s right as an American, he lost some credibility when he began discussing divisive NFL free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

“I think that Colin’s message was a very simple one,” Bryant said. “It was police brutality needs to stop; we need to take a look at that.”

First, Kaepernick’s message was anything but simple.

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The discussion he wanted to have was an uncomfortable one. Criminal justice reform is anything but simple.

Second, Kaepernick went beyond just trying to start a conversation.

He made his feelings very clear when he wore socks depicting police officers as pigs and a T-shirt glorifying Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016 after a debilitating Achilles rupture robbed him of his already declining athleticism.

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Bryan Chai has written news and sports for The Western Journal for more than five years and has produced more than 1,300 stories. He specializes in the NBA and NFL as well as politics.
Bryan Chai has written news and sports for The Western Journal for more than five years and has produced more than 1,300 stories. He specializes in the NBA and NFL as well as politics. He graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. He is an avid fan of sports, video games, politics and debate.
Birthplace
Hawaii
Education
Class of 2010 University of Arizona. BEAR DOWN.
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, Korean
Topics of Expertise
Sports, Entertainment, Science/Tech




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