Utah Jazz Release Statement Following Team’s Gesture Of Kneeling During National Anthem
Jul 30, 2020, 5:14 PM | Updated: Apr 26, 2021, 2:50 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz released a statement after the team took a knee during the national anthem before their game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
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The Jazz faced the Pelicans on Thursday, July 30, at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.
Minutes before the start of the game, both teams stepped on the court wearing shirts that featured the phrase “Black Lives Matter.”
The Utah Jazz released the following statement on Thursday.
“The Utah Jazz are committed to advancing social justice and stand in support of the players, coaches and staff as they exercise their First Amendment rights, and use their voices, their experiences, and their platforms to peacefully express themselves,” the statement read. “We are a values-based organization and believe in the foundational principles of justice, equality, fairness and economic empowerment. Our organization strives to be a unifying force in our comunities and we hope this time in our history can be a catalyst for positive change in a country we love.”
A statement in support of our players, coaches and staff 💙 pic.twitter.com/e2YN1gUhVT
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) July 30, 2020
During the pregame national anthem, players and coaches from the Jazz and Pelicans kneeled on the court next to a “Black Lives Matter” floor decal. NBA officials for the contest joined the teams in kneeling.
