Carmelo Anthony is all for calling attention to issues of social injustice, but the New York Knicks star feels it is time for those who have been protesting to take the next step.
In an interview with Howard Beck and Jonathan Abrams of Bleacher Report, Anthony said it is time for professional athletes and others to go beyond simply taking a knee or raising a fist during the national anthem.
“I’m past the gestures,” he said. “I’m past that. It’s all about creating things now and putting things in motion. So, that’s what I’m on. I’m trying to get guys on board with that and help them understand that—enough of the gesturing and talking and all of that stuff — we need to start putting things in place.”
Several NBA players told Bleacher Report that there has been “value” in protesting the anthem, but none of them committed to doing the same thing Colin Kaepernick and others have done. They want to dig deeper.
“(Kaepernick) was courageous enough to do that. He created that. He created the kneeling and that protest. And people fell in line with that,” Anthony said. “Some people supported it. Some people didn’t. But at the end of the day, and I’m not taking nothing away from him … I just don’t think the gesturing is creating anything. I think it’s bringing awareness, but I think doing stuff and creating awareness in the communities [is more effective].”
In recent months, NBA teams and players have been trying to establish better relations between the community and police officers. Bleacher Report shed light on several of the steps teams have taken, including the Chicago Bulls holding a basketball tournament between law enforcement and a mentoring agency and DeMarcus Cousins hosting an event with police and community leaders in his hometown.
While there is no easy fix, people like Anthony who put forth a genuine effort to make a difference — no matter how small or large — should be applauded. NBA players have already taken a much different approach during the national anthem (photo here), and you can expect that to continue when the season begins.
