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Tony Bennett supports players’ protest

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Every member of the Virginia men’s basketball team posed for a black and white photo, kneeling on one knee, with all of there arms locked.

Players like London Perrantes, Ty Jerome, Trevon Gross, and Marial Shayok posted the picture on social media with the same caption, “Kneel for Injustice. Kneel for Equality.”

Over the weekend, Virginia head coach Tony Bennett issued a statement supporting his players’ protest.

“Our guys realize there are a lot of issues going on in our country,” Bennett said in a statement Friday. “I support their desire to promote peace and equality.”

The Cavaliers have joined in on the nationwide protest that began when San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat down for the national anthem during an NFL preseason game. His protest, which centers around police brutality in the black community, has since shifted to kneeling after he had a conversation with Nate Boyer, a former NFL long snapper and former United States Army Green Beret.

With team-wide unity, and support from their coach, it’s reasonable to believe the Cavaliers kneel for the national anthem when the season starts in mid-November. Virginia has been one of the top teams over the past few year and are expected to be a top-10 entering this season. A high-major school of Virginia’s caliber could open the door for more college basketball players and programs willing to join this protest this winter.