Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan supports athletes’ right to peacefully protest

Hornets owner Michael Jordan released a statement supporting the rights of athletes to peacefully protest. The statement comes after president Donald Trump criticized athletes for protesting during the national anthem.

In the wake of president Donald Trump calling any athlete who kneels during the playing of the national anthem a “son of a b***h” that should be fired, current and former athletes from around the country have spoken out against the president’s comments. Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan added his voice on Sunday, providing a statement to the Charlotte Observer:

"“One of the fundamental rights this country is founded on was freedom of speech, and we have a long tradition of nonviolent, peaceful protest. Those who exercise the right to peacefully express themselves should not be demonized or ostracized.“At a time of increasing divisiveness and hate in this country, we should be looking for ways to work together and support each other and not create more division.“I support Commissioner Adam Silver, the NBA, its players and all those who wish to exercise their right to free speech.”"

Jordan’s statement follows statements from Silver and various players in support of the Golden State Warriors, who decided against visiting the White House as is customary of most teams after winning a championship.

Jordan’s comments aren’t specifically critical of Trump, but they indicate support of peaceful protest by players and the expression of free speech. It essentially gives Hornets players a green light to lead any kind of demonstration of their own, should they choose.

Following Trump’s recent comments, Hornets forward Frank Kaminsky took to Twitter to criticize those upset over athletes protesting:

To this point, Kaminsky is the only Hornets player to publicly comment on this weekend’s round of protests by players.

These protests, which date back to Colin Kaepernick last season, are meant to highlight acts of police brutality and shootings against African Americans in the United States. Statistics indicate young black men are killed by police at a higher rate than any other group. There is also frustration over the lack of convictions involving police officers shooting unarmed people, and recent reports show the conviction rate of police officers is low.

Hornets point guard Kemba Walker spoke about gun violence in America in July of 2016 in an article for The Players Tribune. Walker advocates for using his status as a platform to raise awareness, and stressed the importance of listening to those speaking up:

"All across the country, there are people working hard to push for change and speaking up. They’re doing their best to make their voices heard. But in so many cases, those voices are silenced, or shut down, or drowned out. It’s not right."

These comments are equally important today as players and other Americans continue to voice their concerns.

Next: Warriors' statement in response to Donald Trump's comments

Similarly, Jordan’s statement indicates support for his players and those around the league. As the season draws closer, we could see Walker, Kaminsky, or other Hornets players speak up.