Friday 26 June 2020 11:09, UK
LeBron James believes the NFL must formally apologise to former quarterback Colin Kaepernick for the way they failed to stand by him over his anti-racism message.
The prominence of taking a knee and the Black Lives Matter protests came into sharper focus following the death of George Floyd, an African-American man, at the hands of Minneapolis police in May.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has since conceded the league's handling of racism has been wrong, but that admission comes nearly four years after then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kaepernick took a knee in protest at racism and police brutality.
"As far as the NFL, I'm not in those locker rooms, I'm not with those guys, but I do understand that an apology - I have not heard a true, official apology to Colin Kaepernick on what he was going through and what he was trying to tell the NFL and tell the world about why he was kneeling when he was doing that as a San Francisco 49er," James told Bloomberg.
"I just see that to still be wrong. Now they are listening, but I still think we have not heard that official apology to a man who basically sacrificed everything for the better of this world."
Kaepernick has not played in the league since 2016 although Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn recently hinted the player is on the team's radar.
Others, including Baltimore Ravens' Matthew Judon, have questioned why the NFL did not act sooner and were not more decisive, while Terrell Owens - like James - has already called for the league to apologise.
In the NBA, James believes the league have been receptive and willing to listen when the players have something to say.
"One thing I can speak for is what I'm a part of," James said. "I'm a part of a league with a great commissioner in Adam Silver and he's always listened to the voices of his players and I've always respected him for that.
"He's given us an opportunity that when we feel something that's very wrong with society, that's very wrong with what's going on in our communities, that we can speak upon that and use the NBA's shield to back us and I have nothing but respect for Adam Silver."
