After four and a half months of suspension due to the coronavirus , the NBA has restarted its season with a powerful message against racism by its players and coaches, who knelt during the American anthem in the opening two games.

In an unusual gesture in the NBA, and prohibited in its regulations , stars like LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Kahwi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers) together with all his teammates formed a single row and knelt in one knee in unison when The pre-game anthem started playing.

Many players listened to the performance with their heads down and others linked their arms as a symbol of unity, as did LeBron James with Anthony Davis , the other star of the Lakers.

Players wore black jerseys with the slogan "Black Lives Matter" , which is also engraved in the center of the court without spectators of the Disney World sports complex (Orlando).

The league and players pledged that this end of its season, despite the isolated conditions in the Disney World "bubble" , will contribute to the ongoing crime-fueled protests of African-American George Floyd by a white cop two months ago.

Although its rules have required players to remain on their feet during the performance of the anthem since the early 1980s, Commissioner Adam Silver said that "under these unique circumstances," the league will not act against teams.

"I respect the unified act of peaceful protest by our teams for social justice ," Silver said in a brief statement.

Messages instead of names

The gesture of kneeling down has become one of the symbols of the massive demonstrations for racial equality and the end of police brutality that have taken place in the United States and other countries in recent months.

This type of protest was popularized in 2016 by American football player Colin Kaepernick , who was once the subject of harsh criticism, including from President Donald Trump , and was never hired by any NFL team again.

"With what is happening in our country, I think it is critical that all of us, in a unified way, turn our attention to social justice," said Jazz coach Quin Snyder , interviewed during the game.

In the first game of the day, in which the Utah Jazz beat the New Orleans Pelicans 106-104, rookie Zion Williamson wore the word "Peace" on his uniform, while both his Pelicans teammate Lonzo Ball like the French pivot of the Utah Jazz Rudy Gobert they opted for "Equality" (Equality).

Then the second and last game of the day began, between the Lakers and the Clippers, in which the stars s Lebron James and Kawhi Leonard preferred to keep their names on the shirts.

Jazz achieves first victory

The first basket of the campaign resumption was scored by Gobert , whose contagion of coronavirus forced the abrupt suspension of the season on March 11.

His team, the Jazz , won the first game in a tight finish in which forward Brandon Ingram missed a triple in the last seconds that could give the victory to New Orleans.

The game's top scorer was Jazz backup guard Jordan Clarkson with 23 points, while teammates Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley scored 20 each and Rudy Gobert made 14 units and 12 rebounds.

For the Pelicans, Ingram scored 23 points and veteran shooting guard JJ Reddick another 21 while Zion Williamson, with just a couple of workouts after his return to the "bubble," had 13 points in just 15 minutes on track.

The Pelicans, who rank tenth in the Western Conference, want to take advantage of the eight regular-season games that will be played at Disney World to catch up with the Memphis Grizzlies , which hold eighth place, the last to give the playoffs a ticket, which will start on August 17.

With daily coronavirus testing and countless restrictions, the NBA has created a security environment at Disney World to protect players from the pandemic, which has already claimed more than 150,000 lives in the United States.

The courts have also been adapted to prevent risks , with those responsible for controlling the games separated from the teams by a window.

The bench seats have been separated at a greater distance and, although not mandatory, some people wear a mask during the game, such as Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry , one of the league's oldest veterans at 65.

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