Kobe: If I were still playing, I'd be protesting during anthem

While the NBA requires players and coaches to stand during the national anthem, Kobe Bryant said if he were still playing he would be taking a knee anyway.

Bryant announced his stance on the controversial national anthem protests Sunday while speaking to Jemele Hill as part of The Undefeated's "Dear Black Athlete" special. Bryant said despite the potential backlash he would have likely received, he would have still joined Colin Kaepernick's controversial movement and protested during the national anthem prior to games.

"Yeah, I would have participated in it, for sure," Bryant told Hill. "I'm sure I would have gotten some flak for it. That's fine. I think that Colin's message was a very simple one. It was police brutality needs to stop; we need to take a look at that."

Bryant has previously defended Kaepernick and others who have refused to stand during "The Star-Spangled Banner," but never said whether or not he would have protested himself.

Bryant previously criticized Donald Trump in September a day after the president referred to NFL players protesting during the national anthem as "sons of bitches."

"A #POTUS whose name alone creates division and anger. Whose words inspire dissension and hatred can't possibly "Make America Great Again,"" Bryant wrote on Twitter.

While the national anthem protest movement has become a controversial and divisive topic, Bryant said there wouldn't be much of an issue in NBA locker rooms if players began kneeling during the anthem.

"From my experience in the locker room, it doesn't seem like any of the players that I played with certainly would have had an issue with that," Bryant told Hill. "I think we understand this is a free country. I think we have the right to peaceful protest.

"And by the way, from my point of view, that's what the flag represents as well. The ability to speak. The ability to voice your opinion. And everybody is entitled to that. So everybody getting up in arms about it, they're certainly in their right to do that, as we're certainly in our right to protest - peacefully at that."

If Bryant did choose to protest during the national anthem during his playing days, he would have violated a league rule by doing so.

The NBA sent a memo in September reminding teams of its policy requiring players and coaches to stand during the national anthem. Teams do not have the discretion to waive this rule.

"The league office will determine how to deal with any possible instance in which a player, coach or trainer does not stand for the anthem," the memo reads.

Despite the fact the NBA is widely recognized as the most progressive league -- with a number of players previously raising awareness of social justice issues and multiple players and coaches publicly criticizing Trump -- no player has yet to violate the league's policy and protest during the national anthem.