Warriors' Draymond Green on protest debate: 'We said what we had to say'

The Warriors have no reason to fight.

Following the team's loss to the Nuggets in their preseason opener on Saturday, a number of Golden State players declared they will not protest during the national anthem because they believe they have already made their opinions on the debate clear.

"I think we've done enough," Warriors forward Andre Iguodala told ESPN. "We talked about how we've done enough and how we're going about things a certain way. We feel like our voices are being heard.

"It's a strong statement because (Colin Kaepernick) did it, but that's not a rule that the NFL has. So he was able to make a stand within the rules. So I feel like that's their thing. If we were to make an NBA stand, we would make a stand that's within the rules but also at the right time."

Despite a number of demonstrations going on in the sports world, NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently cited a league rule stating that all players must stand for the anthem. Warriors forward Draymond Green has no problem obeying that rule since the team has already cemented its stance.

"We said what we had to say," Green told ESPN. "Everyone knows where we stand. We don't need to do anything else to show where we stand. Everyone knows where we stand."

"I think people make what they want out of (kneeling). I think it's at a point now where everybody knows. The conversation started. It's about capitalizing on that and trying to make things better now. Kaep made the statement a year ago. I don't knock anybody for doing what they do or what they feel they need to do. But I think the conversation has started at this point. The more you make gestures or this and that, that becomes the conversation, and that's beside the point."

Many NFL players have kneeled or sat during the national anthem this season, especially this past week after President Donald Trump said athletes who kneel should be "fired."

Trump also tweeted that the Warriors' invitation to visit the White House had been withdrawn after "hesitation" by guard Stephen Curry about whether the team should go. Curry, coach Steve Kerr, and other Warriors players have been outspoken in their criticism of Trump, and Kerr wrote on SI.com that the team probably would have skipped the trip regardless.