LeBron James on NBA Kneeling, 'I Hope We Made Kaepernick Proud'

5:44 AM PT -- 7/31 -- After the game, LeBron James credited Colin Kaepernick for inspiring the kneeling demonstration -- and said, "I hope we made Kap proud."

"I hope we continue to make Kap proud. Every single day I hope I make him proud on how I live my life, not only on the basketball floor, but off the floor."

"I want to always speak out against things that I feel like are unjust. I always want to be educated on things and go about it that way."

LeBron added, "Kap was someone who stood up when times weren't comfortable, when people didn't understand, people refused to listen to what he was saying. If you go back and go look at any of his postgame interviews when he was talking about why he was kneeling, it had absolutely nothing to do with the flag. It had absolutely nothing to do with the soldiers, the men and women that keep our land free."

"He explained that, and the ears were closed, people never listened, they refused to listen, but I did."

"A lot of people in the black community did listen, and we just thank him for him sacrificing everything that he did to put us in a position today, even years later, to be able to have that moment like we had tonight."

6:20 PM PT -- LeBron James and all his Lakers teammates participated in the kneeling demonstration during the anthem before they tipped off against the L.A. Clippers.

The Clippers also took a knee ... along with all of the coaches, staffers and referees working the game.

4:44 PM PT -- NBA commish Adam Silver is addressing both teams' decision to kneel before the game, saying they will not face punishment for the gesture.

"I respect our teams' unified act of peaceful protest for social justice and under these unique circumstances will not enforce our long-standing rule requiring standing during the playing of our national anthem."