NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday night he expects players to stand for the national anthem, according to a report by ESPN.

While standing during the national anthem is not an NFL rule but is an NBA league rule , Silver wants NBA players to understand that it’s important to show respect to the flag.

Silver also said wants players to engage their communities and continue having difficult conversations about social injustices, according to ESPN.

ESPN reported Silver said if a player should refuse to stand once the season begins, “we’ll deal with it when it happens.”

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South Carolina State University head football coach Chennis Berry joined the team in 2023 after coaching at Benedict College, a historically Black college in Columbia, South Carolina. Last year, Berry's team saw its season end in heartbreak in the Celebration Bowl and this time, it ended in triumph with a 40-38 win. (Courtesy of South Carolina State Athletics)

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