美国国家公共电台 NPR--Ex-NBA star Abdul-Rauf writes about not standing for the national anthem in new book

Ex-NBA star Abdul-Rauf writes about not standing¹ for the national anthem² in new book

Transcript³

NPR's A Martínez speaks with former NBA star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf about his autobiography⁴: In the Blink of an Eye.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Two decades before NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided⁵ to take a knee during "The Star-Spangled Banner," it was former NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf whose career and life dramatically changed after he refused to stand for the national anthem. In his new memoir⁶, "In The Blink Of An Eye," he tells of his drive and success in the sport, but that his principles came first.

MAHMOUD ABDUL-RAUF: Reading history and knowing what had happened to the likes of Muhammad Ali and John Carlos and Tommie Smith and all of these others, I knew that this was not going to end well as long as I continued to articulate the things that I'm articulating. But I was good with that.

MART?NEZ: The year was 1996, and Abdul-Rauf's coach called him into his office. If his actions didn't change, he was told, he would have to leave the arena⁷.

ABDUL-RAUF: I was so green, I'd never been suspended for anything in my life. So I'm thinking there has to be some type of active legislation. They have to go through a process. And I said, well, can I go get dressed? He says, no. I said, I'm suspended right now? He said, yes. I said, well, can I go get dressed and go out into the arena and support the team? He says, no, they want you off the premises⁸. I said, no problem. And so I went and I informed the team that I'm on my way home, and they look perplexed⁹.

MART?NEZ: Now, to be clear, you had already not been standing or acknowledging the national anthem for a while before this, right? So, I mean, when - were you under the impression that - why are people making a big deal about this when I've been doing this for a while?

ABDUL-RAUF: Yes, I was definitely under that impression. I didn't see it as a big deal. And maybe four to six months - the previous season, give or take, I had not been standing for the flag. And so when it was brought to me - and actually it was brought to me by an assistant GM named Todd Eley. He said that some reporter had noticed that I hadn't been standing, and would I be willing to give an interview? And I'm like, no problem. I'll talk to anybody. And then once he captured the interview, that's when it blew out of proportion.

MART?NEZ: And just to be clear, what was your stance on the American flag? What were you not standing for?

ABDUL-RAUF: Well, I began to read a lot and come across a lot of authors - the Noam Chomsky - he's the - you know, Arundhati Roys and so many others. And just the things that I was coming across, I didn't know. So, you know, I began to develop a conscience. And the fact that I became a Muslim also, and we're taught in so many ways that you can't be for God and oppression at the same time. And I began to view the American flag, with what I was reading, you know, with just - not just domestic but foreign policy that it was against my belief system, and it was against my principles. And so I didn't want to acknowledge that symbol that represented that.

MART?NEZ: How bad did the backlash get?

ABDUL-RAUF: When I started to go to different arenas¹⁰, there was a lot of name-calling and - but I can't remember specifically what was said. It wasn't good. But I will say this - when I went back to Denver, I didn't hear not one derogatory thing. I didn't hear one boo from the crowd when I entered the arena. And I think a part of it was because in Denver, I'm constantly in the streets, right? Whether at basketball camps, whether it'd be going to businesses, I'm approachable. And I think the people in Denver knew that. And so I think when I came back home, the people were like, you know what, we see this guy every day. We see how he is. You know, the image that you're portraying¹¹, assassinating¹² his character the way you are, this is not who we see.

And people disagree. I mean, they have a right to disagree. But what - oftentimes what they don't think about is that stand - it wasn't just about Black and white, about racial inequality. It was just injustices¹³, period. I don't care where it is. And, you know, this country, for example - they don't - there's this talk about even the military. This is for a lot of them, too, because they go and fight, and they say, oh, you made the ultimate sacrifice. But many military people can't even get health care. They're homeless. But this is how you treat people that have given the ultimate sacrifice. A lot of them didn't even realize it - look, this is for you. There's injustices related to you too, whoever you are.

MART?NEZ: Your book is published under the Colin Kaepernick publishing label. And you know what? When he was kneeling during the national anthem a few years ago, all I could think of was what you might have been thinking about it - what you were feeling as you were seeing it happen. I mean, what was going through your head and heart as you were watching Colin Kaepernick go through what he went through?

ABDUL-RAUF: I said, he's getting ready to go through it - you know, the same thing I went through, if not worse. Everything that I saw for the most part with him I experienced - you know, the death threats, the, you know, condemning¹⁴ him, saying, you know, shut up and dribble¹⁵ type of thing or, you know, he shouldn't, you know - who is he? Right? What does he know type of thing. And then the decreasing of the minutes - right? - not playing him. I'm like, wow, that's very similar to what I went through. And I remember when we talked the first time in that little private meeting, he said something that resonated with me, and that's the way I felt. He said, this is the most free I've ever felt in my life. I said, I understand exactly what you're saying.

MART?NEZ: You know, I think about when Muhammad Ali decided to protest the Vietnam War. And it becomes, I think, framed as part of the larger civil rights movement. And Colin Kaepernick too - that when he kneeled, it was framed as a part of the larger Black Lives Matter movement and what was going on at that time. When you did what you did - I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, Mahmoud, but you were alone. I mean, there was no larger movement that I remember that this could be shared with when we think back on it historically. I mean, how do you think that context factors into how we remember this?

ABDUL-RAUF: You know, I hear sometimes people say, hey, man, when you did it, it was tougher. I said, listen, we can always go back. They say, yeah, Mahmoud, but when you did it, it was tough. But when Muhammad Ali did it, it was tough. Hey, Muhammad Ali, when you did it, it was tough. But when Paul Robeson did it, it was tough. We can always do that. But when it's all said and done, I'm like, man, somebody has to do it. People come up and they say, man, when you first did what you did, I thought you were crazy, and I didn't see it. And some will say, you were before your time. And some will say, man, I want to apologize to you because I didn't see it. And now I do, and I feel this way. I get it. And so I'm just - you know, let's take that momentum¹⁶. And then wherever you are, you try to make a change with it now that you see. And you speak up, and you - do whatever you can, you know, within your abilities to do it.

MART?NEZ: That's Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. His autobiography is titled "In The Blink Of An Eye." Thanks a lot for your time.

ABDUL-RAUF: Thank you even more.

(SOUNDBITE OF FREDDIE JOACHIM'S "COOL DOWN")

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 autobiography   

n.自传

参考例句：

• He published his autobiography last autumn.他去年秋天出版了自己的自传。
• His life story is recounted in two fascinating volumes of autobiography.这两卷引人入胜的自传小说详述了他的生平。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 memoir   

n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录

参考例句：

• He has just published a memoir in honour of his captain.他刚刚出了一本传记来纪念他的队长。
• In her memoir,the actress wrote about the bittersweet memories of her first love.在那个女演员的自传中，她写到了自己苦乐掺半的初恋。

7 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

8 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

9 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。

10 arenas   

表演场地( arena的名词复数 )； 竞技场； 活动或斗争的场所或场面； 圆形运动场

参考例句：

• Demolition derbies are large-scale automobile rodeos that take place in big arenas. 撞车比赛指的是在很大的竞技场上举行的大型汽车驾驶技术表演。
• Are there areas of privacy in the most public of arenas? 在绝大部分公开的场合中存在需要保护隐私的领域吗？

11 portraying   

v.画像( portray的现在分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The artist has succeeded in portraying my father to the life. 那位画家把我的父亲画得惟妙惟肖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ding Ling was good at portraying figures through careful and refined description of human psychology. 《莎菲女士的日记》是丁玲的成名作，曾引起强烈的社会反响。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

12 assassinating   

v.暗杀( assassinate的现在分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• They struck a blow for freedom by assassinating the colonial governor. 他们为了自由而奋力一博，暗杀了那位殖民地总督。 来自互联网

13 injustices   

不公平( injustice的名词复数 )； 非正义； 待…不公正； 冤枉

参考例句：

• One who committed many injustices is doomed to failure. 多行不义必自毙。
• He felt confident that his injustices would be righted. 他相信他的冤屈会受到昭雪的。

14 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

15 dribble   

v.点滴留下，流口水；n.口水

参考例句：

• Melted wax dribbled down the side of the candle.熔化了的蜡一滴滴从蜡烛边上流下。
• He wiped a dribble of saliva from his chin.他擦掉了下巴上的几滴口水。

16 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。