NBA players and coaches from four teams took a knee during the national anthem on Thursday night in the first set of games since the league paused its season over the coronavirus pandemic. The demonstration, inspired by free-agent NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, calls attention to racial injustice and police brutality. 

In the first game of the season restart, between the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz, players and coaches kneeled during "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" bandleader Jon Batiste's rendition of the national anthem. The team members also wore Black Lives Matter shirts and locked arms.

Both the Pelicans and Jazz issued statements in support of the protests. The Jazz, who won the matchup 106-104, issued a statement saying the organization stands with its players, coaches and staff as they "exercise their First Amendment rights, and use their voices, their experiences, and their platforms to peacefully express themselves."