Leonard said that standing for “The Star Spangled Banner” was very much informed by the fact that his brother is a U.S. Marine who served in Afghanistan. He said that while he believes in the Black Lives Matter movement that his fellow teammates are kneeling for, his gesture does not show a lack of support for the movement.
“I am with the Black Lives Matter movement and I love and support the military and my brother and the people who have fought to defend our rights in this country,” he said. Leonard also wore the same Black Lives Matter T-shirt that the rest of his team wore.
Leonard said that a text from his brother showed him that he was proud of him. “And if he’s proud of me, and if my brothers on this team are with me, then I know this is what I have to do,” he said.
Following difficult conversations with his teammates, he said that he would stand, but would continue to try to make a positive impact for the movement. “I can’t fully comprehend how our world, literally and figuratively, has turned into Black and white. There’s a line in the sand, so to speak: ‘If you’re not kneeling, you’re not with us.’ And that’s not true,” he said. “I will continue to use my platform, my voice and my actions to show how much I care about the African American culture and for everyone.”
As demonstrated by the fist bumps after the anthem concluded, Leonard’s teammates showed support for his decision to stand. Teammate Andre Iguodala told AP that he “can see where [Leonard] is coming from.”
Heat captain Udonis Haslem said he was still showing support, regardless of what other people think. “People will question, ‘Why isn’t he doing it their way?’ Well, he’s standing by us. He’s supporting us. He’s with us,” he told AP.
Leonard isn’t the first player to stand for the anthem since the NBA has restarted. Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac also stood for the anthem and did not wear the Black Lives Matter shirt that other players have worn. Isaac cited religious reasons in a long response at a press conference—after he said that while he believes that Black lives do matter, he didn’t think that wearing the shirt and kneeling supported Black lives.
When asked further how religion was connected to Black Lives Matter, he responded: “I don’t think that kneeling or putting on a T-shirt, for me personally, is the answer. For me, Black lives are supported through the Gospel.”
Leonard’s agents did not respond to Newsweek’s emailed request for comment in time for publication.
