Houston Rockets’ star point guard James Harden showed up at the NBA bubble in Orlando reportedly wearing a thin blue line mask.
The Rockets shared a photo of Harden and his mask Thursday on Twitter and the NBA shared the photo as well. Harden’s mask featured a thin blue line, which is known to be a pro-police symbol, according to a report published by the New York Post.
Mask Up
???? @NBA pic.twitter.com/PFsIuJybYb
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) July 17, 2020
Critics often claim the symbol is representative of white supremacy and people who wear it oppose the Black Lives Matter movement, the outlet reported.
NBA Twitter is going crazy after James Harden was spotted wearing a Thin Blue Line Mask pic.twitter.com/2h1aCCBK4c
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) July 17, 2020
Rapper Trey Songz criticized Harden’s mask on Twitter.
“This certified clown shit,” he tweeted. “I’ll say it for everybody who scared to. FOH” (RELATED: James Harden Apologizes To China Over Daryl Morey Tweets)
Harden was outspoken Thursday regarding the George Floyd protests in Houston.
James Harden was asked about George Floyd and being a part of Houston. pic.twitter.com/jTSUla7SsS
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) July 17, 2020
“The way the city rallied, it was amazing,” Harden told reporters on Thursday upon his arrival. “I think the world saw it. How so many people could come together so close… Obviously it was for a tragic reason. The marching and everything we’re standing for is very powerful.”
Harden arrived Thursday at the NBA bubble in Orlando. It is unclear why he didn’t travel with the team last week.