Cavs star J.R. Smith scuffed at the recent antiprotest mandate imposed on NBA players by league commissioner Adam Silver, over the weekend.

With demonstrations continuing to take center stage during NFL pregame National Anthem ceremonies, the question as to whether the NBA will also become the grounds of peaceful protests was answered. Several teams - including the L.A. Lakers, the Denver Nuggets, and the Minnesota Timberwolves - locked arms as the patriotic tune was sung prior to their opening competition. Nobody knelt, and up until this point, there hasn't been much of any response to the memo Silver sent out, informing teams that players must stand during the Star Spangled Banner, but Smith did appear to project an attitude that may amplify the thoughts of many. "Yea Ight," he tweeted midway through Sunday, October 1.

Similar speculation over the intention of players to make a statement during the National Anthem did permeate the media on the heels of Colin Kaepernick starting the protests up in 2016. But with the exception of a gesture or two early on in the season, such demonstrations never caught on amongst pro hoopers. Over the course of months, however, the social atmosphere has transformed, as - many argue - has the principal motivation behind the most recent wave of dissent. And with an anti-Trump movement occupying the Commander-In-Chief's presidency, the possibility that players have become more apt to use their platforms to express social grievances has become very real.

Source: cavaliersnation.com