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Raptors all for using high-profile platform to raise inequality awareness

Sep 26, 2016 | 2:15 PM

TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors plan to join the growing chorus of pro athletes speaking out against police brutality, a topic that has hit close to home for DeMar DeRozan.

“I had a close friend of mine a couple of weeks ago that was murdered by the police, shot 17 times,” the star guard said Monday at the team’s media day prior to the start of training camp. “It was something I haven’t spoke out about, it was more so of just understanding what’s going on in our society and how much I can help.”

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the “Star-Spangled Banner” in protest of police shootings and racial inequality in the United States, and his action has spread not only across the NFL, but to NCAA football and the WNBA.  

And now, the NBA — in which 75 per cent of players are black — will surely see some players follow suit when the season tips off next month.

The Raptors say they’re all for using their high-profile platform to press for change, but didn’t offer specifics of how they would do that, including whether they would refuse to stand during the anthem.

“It is our job, as leaders here, to have conversations about it,” coach Dwane Casey said. “All I tell our guys is to be informed. . . and do it from the heart. It should be about bringing awareness to the situation and what’s going on.”

The NBA has a rule that players and coaches must stand during the national anthems, although the rule wasn’t mentioned in a letter to players last week.

In the letter, the league and the players union said: “We will be working with your teams during training camp to get your thoughts and ideas.”

“One of the things with the NBA that I am really proud of is that we get ahead of these things, we all have the right to speak our minds and we’ve discussed with our players,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said.

Raptors all-star guard Kyle Lowry said the players would talk over how best to proceed.

“Me having two younger black kids, making sure people are aware that me growing up, definitely getting pulled over was a scary thing,” Lowry said. “I think now we have to use our voices. Everybody can do their own thing.”

His co-captain DeRozan said there are “many a ways” to protest. 

“Anything we do, we’re supporting one another, and that’s what it’s all about, being able to try to make a difference, and understanding everybody’s point of view, thought process,” DeRozan said. “It takes time. It’s not going to be a day, it’s not going to be a week, it’s not going to be a month. But it can start with each individual, and that can speed up the process, however long that may be.”

Raptors newcomer Jared Sullinger has been vocal on Twitter in response to the shootings of black men by police officers.

“And what’s going on in this country is flat out WRONG…. you have clear video and you still justifying for the cop,” he tweeted recently.

“I do believe there’s going to be some NBA players that will have a knee,” the former Boston Celtics forward said Monday. “I think what Colin Kaepernick is doing speaks volumes about himself, because it shows that he wants peace. . . I just wish people would wake up and understand that if you treat people the way you want to be treated, a lot of these situations wouldn’t be happening. It’s a touchy subject, but at the same time it’s reality.”

The NBA is arguably among the most progressive pro leagues. It decided to relocate the 2017 all-star game from Charlotte to New Orleans over a North Carolina bathroom law that discriminated against transgender people.

Players have staged their own protests including the “I can’t breathe” warm-up T-shirts worn by LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and others, after the death of Eric Garner during an arrest.

James and Dwyane Wade were among players who posted photos of themselves, wearing hoodies, on social media after the 2012 death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, who was wearing a hoodie.

In the WNBA, the entire Indiana Fever team knelt and linked arms during the U.S. anthem ahead of their playoff game last week against the Phoenix Mercury.

The Raptors face a unique situation as the only Canadian team in the league, and thus the only team to play two anthems pre-game.

“Canada is a beautiful country. We don’t have those issues here. . . So to disrespect the flag here is wasting your time and energy on something that’s not there,” Casey said. “We have probably the most diverse country, diverse city in the NBA. Not for one moment have I felt prejudice or disrespect or anything — other than winning and losing, I feel that. But nothing racial in this country and that’s the beautiful thing about this country.”

Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press