San Antonio Spurs star DeMar DeRozan says people should not "vilify" either Gregg Popovich or Becky Hammon for standing during the national anthem, Friday.
"With Pop and Becky standing, I have no thoughts [contrary to] belief in them that is all out of genuine, out of a positive side of their heart," DeRozan said "You know Pop speaks out. When it comes to Becky, she's been [on the] front line, fighting for equality since I've been a fan of hers playing in the WNBA. So everybody has their own right of making a statement and you can't vilify nobody for not doing what the other group is doing. I'm all for it."
Both Popovich and Hammon opted to stand during the anthem, while wearing Black Lives Matter shirts, when the Spurs played the Sacramento Kings, this week.
"I prefer to keep that to myself," Popovich politely explained to reporters who inquired about his choice. "Everybody has to make a personal decision. The league has been great about that. Everybody has the freedom to react any way that they want. For whatever reasons that I have, I reacted the way I wanted to."
Popovich has consistently spoken out against racial injustice through his years with the NBA.
[Via]