Columnist suggests sports, for now, feel meaningless. But when NBA returns, surely some will take a knee.

The NBA is set to come back at the end of July in Orlando,

But Sports Have Never Felt More Meaningless Than Right Now, New York magazine's Will Leitch wrote 6/2/20.

It has felt inappropriate to talk about any sort of diversion in the wake of this tumult, the president’s rapid public meltdown, the gassing of peaceful American citizens for a photo op, and the sense that everything might just be falling apart; I haven’t noticed people having heated debates about the Dakota Johnson romantic comedy that came out last weekend either, after all. But it sure does make the rush to get back in time for an artificial, rally-together-America deadline seem awfully unnecessary, and maybe even actively ill-advised. Sports, like much of entertainment, exist as a distraction. But, boy, does it seem irresponsible to be distracted right now.

Perhaps the NBA is thinking that, by July, the atmosphere will have shifted.

Taking a knee

Meanwhile, it's hard not to think that some players and even team personnel will start taking a knee to protest police violence, echoing the (now perhaps less lonely) protest of exiled NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. (Note the connection between Kaepernick and Jackie Robinson, as I wrote for Bklyner.)

JH: "The @NBA is the one N. American pro sports league that had no recent history of players or staff kneeling during the playing of the national anthem. In light of recent events, I find it hard2believe that streak will continue, & I wonder how the league plans on dealing w/it." https://t.co/wiaUaLOLhC

— Norman Oder (@AYReport) June 4, 2020

And that might well extend to fans, once public attendance returns.

...When sports are back it’s gonna be interesting to see the whole Barclays Center take a knee during the Anthem . I’m gonna start making knee pads like they mastered this Mask game shit 😷 #TakeAKnee #CivilWar2020 #Kapernickwasright

— BROOKLYNBREAD (@Rinseyjones) June 3, 2020