Sports
NBA star James Harden criticized for wearing Blue Lives Matter face mask
Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden is taking some heat on social media for sporting a face mask with a thin blue line, a symbol that represents the Blue Lives Matter non-profit organization.
Harden joined the rest of his teammates at the NBA’s “bubble” in Orlando on Tuesday, four days after the rest of the team.
In a video posted on the Rockets’ Twitter page, Harden can be seen wearing a face covering, hat and luggage in hand, entering a hotel.
It wasn’t entirely clear from Tuesday’s video what the face covering looked like until both the NBA and the Rockets tweeted a close up of Harden on Thursday calling him, “The Masked Beard.”
And while the photos show Harden is doing his part to curb the spread of coronavirus, many are slamming the design of his mask that a represents a national group of police and their supporters created in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
CNN has reached out to Harden and the Rockets for comment. It’s unclear if Harden knew the symbolism associated with his face covering.
In the aftermath of George Floyd‘s death in Minneapolis on May 25, several NBA players have demanded racial justice.
In June, Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard said in a statement he believes the NBA and other forms of entertainment are an unneeded distraction from important issues facing the nation and the Black community right now. At the beginning of the month, San Antonio Spurs player Patty Mills pledged to donate his entire NBA salary for the remainder of the season to organizations tackling racial inequality.
Harden spoke with the media on Thursday from Orlando and said though he wasn’t in Houston during Floyd’s funeral service, he thought “the way the city rallied was amazing.”
“I think the world saw it,” he said. “How so many people could come together so close, obviously it was for a tragic reason but the marching and everything we’re standing for is very powerful.”
Singer-songwriter Trey Songz retweeted the NBA’s photo saying, “This certified clown s***. I’ll say it for everybody who scared to.”
Rapper Young Thug defended Harden on Twitter.
“Just so u know James Harden is my brada,” he wrote. “Btw he don’t have internet so he obviously don’t know what’s right or wrong if he posted something that’s against US”
Harden’s teammate, Russell Westbrook announced on Monday that he tested positive for Covid-19 prior to departing for Orlando.
The Rockets’ first exhibition game is on July 24. The 2019-2020 NBA season will resume July 30 at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. The season was suspended on March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The-CNN-Wire
By: NBC Palm Springs
July 18, 2020
Latest Instagram Posts
Salton city resident Abraham Feinbloom is expected to take a plea deal in the murder case of 17 year old T’Neya Tovar. Under the plea deal obtained by the Imperial County Criminal Courthouse, Feinbloom will plead guilty to one count of torture and voluntary manslaughter. According to court records, he is also expected to assist law enforcement in finding the rest of the victim’s remains. Our @newsbyalondra will be inside the courtroom for his official sentencing Tuesday, September 29th with the very latest.
“Of you can’t find things out as a Board President… then what are they hiding?” Why is the elected board president being blocked from financial records? Drop your thoughts below👇 #therogginreport #coachellavalley #coachella #localnews #nbcpalmsprings
After AB 1145 (also known as Tristin’s Bill) was signed into law, NBC Palm Springs @maria_nvtv is giving more information about the law and what this means for the future of transportation in California #Highway74 #RoadSafety #CoachellaValley #Anza #RiversideCounty
Pregame update from Tim O’Brien ahead of tonight’s preseason matchup between the Coachella Valley Firebirds and the Ontario Reign. Tim has the latest from Acrisure Arena as the Firebirds get set for tonight’s game. UPDATE: Firebirds #CVFirebirds #CoachellaValleyFirebirds #OntarioReign #AHL #Hockey PalmSprings CoachellaValley
Who makes the NBC Top 3, winner will be announced Sunday night on NBC Palm Springs, with the player who makes the number one spot winning a $250 prize from @hondaofthedesert! Comment below if it will be 1) Xzavier Hernandez with the dot towards the back of the endzone, 2) Jesse Rodriguez with the 50 plus yard TD throw, 3) Trace Vargas with the diving TD, 4) Ryan Rumsey with the screen pass TD, making guys miss, or 5) Moyses Aguilar with the pick #fyp #fnl2026 #hondaofthedesert #highschoolfootball #fridaynightlights
Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇 #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings
⚡️ TOP STORY: A man is recovering after he was struck by lightning. Firefighters battled a brush fire along Snow Creek Road, while another lightning strike in Chino Canyon sent a man to the hospital. If you hear thunder, stay indoors for at least 30 minutes after the last rumble. #PalmSprings #Lightning #FireSafety
🚨 Chasing that year-round “summer glow”? A social media tanning trend involving the unapproved peptide melanotan-2 is raising serious safety concerns. Dermatologists say safer sunless tanning options are available. ☀️ #YourHealthToday #SkinHealth #Melanotan2 #TanningSafety
Palm Springs firefighters responded Thursday to a report of a person struck by lightning in the Chino Canyon area. The person was transported to a hospital for medical treatment. Firefighters also responded to a palm tree fire in Chino Canyon that officials say was caused by an apparent lightning strike. NBC Palm Springs News Director David Reese is in the neighborhood tonight knocking on doors and trying to learn more about what happened. Did you see the lightning strike? Did you hear or see anything unusual? Do you know who was struck or have information that could help us understand what happened? We’d like to hear from you. Send us a DM here or contact NBC Palm Springs if you witnessed the incident or have information to share. #PalmSprings #ChinoCanyon #Lightning #PalmSpringsNews #NBCPalmSprings CoachellaValley BreakingNews
Fred Roggin’s response? Show us the receipts! #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings