Colin Kaepernick has had a lot of supporters in his protest against the national anthem, but he also has a lot of detractors. Add Shaquille O’Neal to the number of athletes who have come out and disagreed with the San Francisco 49ers quarterback. In an interview with Fox and Friends on Wednesday, O’Neal questioned the timing, and the method, of Kaepernick’s public claims about racial discrimination.
“To each his own, it’s something I wouldn’t do. His comments were there injustices, there’s always been injustices. Me personally I would probably go about it a different way. My question is, what happened last year? How come you didn’t decide to do this last year, or the year before that, or the year before that? So I don’t know Colin, but again to each his own, I don’t really have a say on it, but I would never do that. My father was a military man, and you know, he protected this country. Uncles are in law enforcement, you know, they go out and work hard every day. There’s just other ways to get your point across.”
Shaq answered yes when asked if you can be pro-military and pro-cop even though you’re African-American.
“My thing is, you have to enter onto the scene one way. People like Muhammad Ali and Bill Russell, they were one way their whole career. You can’t show us something, and then go to another just because of certain issues. I’m aware of all the issues, but my question is, how come you didn’t do it last year? How come you didn’t do it when you first entered the NFL? Again, I don’t know Colin, to each his own, it’s his constitutional right to do that, but I would never do that.”
