Top 5 Most Controversial Racial Demonstrations by Athletes

 5. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, 1996

In 1996, Denver Nuggets player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for the national anthem, stating that it represented “oppression.” He insisted that this conflicted with his Muslim faith. he was eventually suspended for one game. Abdul-Rauf came to a compromise with the league where he would stand and be permitted to silently pray as the anthem played. Soon thereafter, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings, and he played less and less before he was out of the NBA. The former basketball player has praised Colin Kaepernick for his stand, saying it is “selfless.”