LeBron James, Dwyane Wade React to Colin Kaepernick's Settlement with NFL
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade spoke on Colin Kaepernick's settlement with the NFL, showing their support for the quarterback during his extended-free agency.
Kaepernick and former 49ers teammate Eric Reid ended their collusion grievance against the league on Friday–settling for an undisclosed sum of money.
James, who has been an active supporter of the NFL quarterback since his protests began, most recently wearing Kaepernick's special edition jersey on Super Bowl weekend, said he still stands by Kaepernick and is happy to see his case was settled.
"I stand with Kaep. I kneel with Kaep," James told reporters Saturday at All-Star Weekend. "I feel what he was talking about when nobody wanted to listen to him. Nobody ever really wanted to actually understand where he was coming from. I think that anyone who would sacrifice their liveliehood for the benefit of all of us–I can respect that. He's done that."
He continued: "You've got a guy who basically lost his job because he wanted to stand for something that was more than just him. I’m happy to see the news come out yesterday that he won his suit. I hope it’s a hell of a lot of money.”
"What I think Colin did was he educated all of us on something that we didn't know about," Wade added. "I appreciate him for taking a stand and being a leader in our community."
The 31-year-old quarterback started kneeling during the national anthem in August 2016 to protest racial inequality and police brutality. The protests drew national attention, sparking controversy and debate across the country and within the NFL. Kaepernick has remained unsigned since he opted out of his contract with San Francisco, leading to accusations that he was blackballed for his stances. The NFLPA filed a grievance against the NFL on behalf of both Kaepernick and Reid that alleges that team owners and the league colluded to prevent the player's employment because of protests.
While Kaepernick remains unsigned, he will receive a large sum of money as a result of Friday's settlement.
LeBron will captain his team on Sunday night in the 2019 NBA All-Star game, with D-Wade as his teammate for one last time.
