Photo Credit: Steven Ryan/Getty Images

How Kevin Durant & Kyrie Irving Secretly Boycotted The National Anthem All Year Long

NBA’s rule that requires players to stand during the anthem, has not been enforced in recent years, due to the Black Lives Matter social justice movement.

With many having a close eye on the protest, for different reasons, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving found a way to boycott the national anthem all season long without many realizing it.

In an article for GQ, Matt Sullivan revealed how Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving skipped out on participating during the playing of the national anthem by disappearing into the tunnel minutes before, after the lights went down and the cameras cut to commercial.

“After he returned to the court in January, Kyrie Irving began slipping out of pre-game warmups ten minutes before tipoff, disappearing into the shadowy tunnel of an arena — and skipping the national anthem. Kevin Durant would silently follow about a minute after Irving, as the cameras cut to commercial and the lights went down.”

Mid-February: A confidant of Kyrie saw him go to the locker room before the anthem at the NBA All-Star Game.

Mid-April: Durant + Jordan weren’t on court for anthem at Nets game in Minneapolis that was delayed after the killing of Daunte Wright. (Kyrie took day off work). (6/15) pic.twitter.com/kRykCYtFGl

— Matt Sullivan (@sullduggery) June 24, 2021

Mid-April: Here’s Kyrie walking back to the tunnel. KD followed.

Nets staffer says it’s not a bathroom break or extra stretching.

Kyrie + DeAndre declined to comment, KD’s reps didn’t respond to detailed list of questions (7/15) pic.twitter.com/NdZg3s4f9u

— Matt Sullivan (@sullduggery) June 24, 2021

Mid-May: Here’s KD walking out of layup lines.

“Everybody kinda has their own little routines,” says Nets staffer who’s stood alongside KD off-court during anthem. “But there’s no direct conversation going on” about politics before games. (8/15) pic.twitter.com/ABELmU6MRH

— Matt Sullivan (@sullduggery) June 24, 2021

June: Here’s DeAndre Jordan hustling back oncourt as the lights come up after the anthem at Game 2 of Nets playoffs series vs. Bucks.

DJ used to stand there and remember a friend who died in a car accident but hasn’t been out for The Star-Spangled Banner this year. (9/15) pic.twitter.com/yDTZWShy3c

— Matt Sullivan (@sullduggery) June 24, 2021

…and here’s Durant walking off court before Game 6 anthem.

Last time I spoke to KD for my book (https://t.co/ZNyLbzFQGF), we recalled how protests over a police killing in 2018 nearly shut down a game and how the injustice hadn’t stopped. “No,” he said, “and it won’t.” (10/15) pic.twitter.com/hb9a3VmwZr

— Matt Sullivan (@sullduggery) June 24, 2021