NBA: Players must stand for national anthem

The National Basketball Association sent a memo late on Friday to all 30 teams instructing players to stand for the US national anthem, and warning teams there won’t be any exceptions.

The memo, from deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, said the league has the discretion to discipline players who violate a rule already on the books stating that they must stand for the anthem, broadcaster ESPN reported.

The memo tells teams that “the league office will determine how to deal with any possible instance in which a player, coach, or trainer does not stand for the anthem.” It adds that individual teams “do not have the discretion to waive” the rule.

In the memo, Tatum suggests that teams make an effort in their first home game to address the current political climate by having players and coaches give a pregame address to their fans.

Board meeting

Tatum’s memo comes 24 hours after commissioner Adam Silver said at the league’s board of governors meeting in New York that he expects players to stand for the national anthem.

“We have a rule that requires our players to stand for the anthem,” Silver said. “It has been our rule as long as I have been involved with the league and my expectation is our players will continue to stand for the anthem.”

The NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Russell Westbrook, meanwhile, hit the jackpot for the second time in less than 18 months by signing a fiveyear, $205-million (Dh752.8 million) contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The deal puts the 28-yearold Westbrook under contract with the Thunder through the 2022-23 season.

Westbrook posted a picture of himself on his Instagram page, wearing an orange “OKC” jersey with his arms raised and wrote: “WHY NOT??”WHY NOT??