Colin Kaepernick still does not have a spot on an NFL roster despite taking his team to a Super Bowl just over 4 years ago. It is much more than just a regression in ability, his anthem protest rubbed many the wrong way and has a huge part in him still not having a job. According to Rick Maese of the Washington Post, Mark Cuban and Jeff Van Gundy believe the NBA is much more progressive and would have accepted him like the NFL hasn’t.
“Everything starts from the top,” said ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy, a former NBA coach. “Commissioner [Adam] Silver embraces all kinds of different ways of thinking. I think he encourages activism. And because of that, I believe, some of our players in the NBA feel very empowered to speak their mind.
“The NBA is such a global game,” Cuban said in an email, “I think our players exposure to different political systems among their teammates may help them appreciate our country even more and encourage their participation.”
“And so players have shown that you can [be] both basketball businessmen and still retain your voice on issues that directly impact their communities,” he said. “I think that’s a great sign. It wasn’t too long ago where some thought that if they spoke out on issues, it might impact their brand.”
