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Nets: YES Network declines to show anthem before Sunday’s game

ByAdam Weinrib|
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 28: Pilar Hill, 13-years-old of Brooklyn, N.Y., performs the national anthem on the violin before the game at the Wells Fargo Center on March 28, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Nets 123-110. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 28: Pilar Hill, 13-years-old of Brooklyn, N.Y., performs the national anthem on the violin before the game at the Wells Fargo Center on March 28, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Nets 123-110. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)

Sunday’s Nets-Wizards broadcast looked different on YES Network, as the National Anthem was not shown.

The NBA’s restart has proven that the league listened to Kyrie Irving, Garrett Temple, and other concerned non-Nets players, in terms of emphasizing social justice initiatives.

“Black Lives Matter” has been plastered on every court, firmly visible in the intimate fan-less setting, without much to draw your attention away from the message. Nearly every player has a message of change on their jersey’s back, and those who don’t have deemphasized their names, changing the narrative. The pregame National Anthem has also become a must-watch display prior to every bubble game, with both rosters solemnly unified in their somber kneeling.

But those Nets fans who wanted to see their team participate were denied that chance on Sunday, as YES Network inexplicably chose not to cover the moment of unity.

As far as we understand, a similar protest to the one that preceded Brooklyn’s opener took place.

This situation is curious, mainly because of the emphasis that YES’ broadcast placed on the pregame National Anthem festivities before Friday’s Nets-Magic game.

Perhaps they adjusted their coverage because of the amount of attention Jonathan Isaac’s counter-measures garnered in the hours after that show of solidarity? Or perhaps the mandate was more nefarious — after all, YES Network is controlled by Sinclair Broadcasting, the organization that’s gone above and beyond to dictate misleading and robotic news coverage throughout the country.

For as long as the Nets are alive in the bubble, their makeshift roster appears to have every intention of bringing attention to various causes which deserve more eyeballs than NBA action in this tumultuous year. However, if YES Network executives have dictated a shift in coverage, players won’t have their actions amplified in the way they’ve begged to.

Sure, the rest of the league can pick up Brooklyn’s slack, but this is certainly concerning, especially for a team that employs Kyrie Irving, who’s long been worried about being forced into silence.