Oklahoma City residents have discovered being a “big league city” has advantages.
In addition to OKC residents getting to watch their hometown Thunder team play basketball, locals and players also get regular mentions in national press and related game revenue raises the quality of life, which helps the city attract more business.
But being a “big league city” can also lead to some controversy.
Thunder shooting and point guard Victor Oladipo told Complex Sports that Oklahoma City will definitely see protests similar to those of San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sits or kneels during the playing of the national anthem.
“Because, at the end of the day, it’s a sport, and people are gonna be looking at some guys in the NBA to see what they’re gonna do as well,” he told Complex.com.
Kaepernick is protesting racial inequality, especially regarding treatment by law enforcement.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” he told NFL Media in an exclusive postgame interview. “To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.
There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
With so many African-American players in the league, Oladipo said there’s almost surely going to be similar protests made by National Basketball Association players, which could put Thunder fans in an awkward position since Oklahoma is one of the most conservative states in the nation.
Print headline: Big league protests
