MIAMI _ The social injustices have not ended, so the Miami Heat will not, either.
At a time when it has been reported that NFL free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick no longer plans to continue his individual protest by kneeling during the national anthem, the Heat will follow through on their vow of locking arms during the playing of the anthem for the entire season.
"We feel like it's very important," Heat captain Udonis Haslem said, with the Heat's attention turning to Saturday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at AmericanAirlines Arena. "We feel like there's still a lot of work to be done. We still want to show unity."
The Heat adopted the approach during the preseason in the wake of several racially charged incidents involving law enforcement throughout the country. The decision was to be respectful but visible, send a message without overshadowing the event.
"It's going to take everyone coming together, all religious, races to fix the situation," forward Justise Winslow said at the time.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said to back away could send an alternate message.
"We committed to it at the beginning of the year and we said we would do it all year, and we intend to do it," he said, with players and coaches locking arms before each game this season. "We're committed to it.
"And even if it's at the smallest level, to create awareness, for somebody to ask, 'Why are they doing it?' we still think it could be a powerful thing."
Haslem said there also has been a secondary significance of unifying the team going into games.
"For even us," he said, "the season that we've had, which is not on the scale of what's going on in the world, but we want to stay united as a team and what we've been going through with the ups and downs. So I think it just shows unity on a lot of different levels."
Haslem said there has never been a need to remind teammates, even during those times when teammates have held their children during the anthem at home games.
"It's part of the deal," he said. "I think everybody knows it's pretty much routine."
