Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf has been discussing ways to resolve his dispute over the national anthem with NBA officials and the players' union, and he is expected to announce a resolution today, his agent said.
The Denver Nuggets star, who has been suspended indefinitely by the league for refusing to stand during the national anthem, will make a statement later today on ESPN that could clear the way for his return to the court, said his agent, Keith Glass.
"Discussions have been undertaken to try to get him back on the floor," Glass said, referring to talks by Abdul-Rauf with the NBA and the players' association. Glass did not specify who was involved in the discussions.
ESPN confirmed that it would be talking to Abdul-Rauf at Thursday afternoon, but it did not say when it would broadcast the statement.
"We haven't been advised of any statement," NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said today. "We are waiting to see what he says."
Abdul-Rauf's suspension is costing him $31,707 per game. The Nuggets' next game is Friday night at Chicago.
A devout follower of Islam, Abdul-Rauf has said standing for "The Star-Spangled Banner" clashes with his religious beliefs, contending the Koran forbids nationalistic ritualism.
On Wednesday, the players union said it would support any efforts Abdul-Rauf might make to challenge the NBA's disciplinary action, including filing a grievance.
"It never should have come to this. We should have been consulted and could have mediated," said Alex English, the union's acting director.
Abdul-Rauf also could choose to go to court and obtain an injunction allowing him to play if he can convince a judge that the league's actions violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids an employer from taking punitive action against an employee for his religious beliefs.
McIntyre said the league considers it "not a religious issue. It's a simple procedural rule."
If legal issues are raised, "they're open to interpretation," McIntyre said.
Islamic experts and the league's most prominent Muslim player say the Koran does not address the issue specifically, but Abdul-Rauf seemed to be standing by his convictions Wednesday.
"My intentions were not in any way to be disrespectful to those who regard the national anthem as a sacred ceremony," he said in a statement released in Denver. "I am an African-American, a citizen of this country, and one who respects freedom of speech and freedom of expression."
Some players supported Abdul-Rauf for taking a stand on an inflammatory issue, although they didn't necessarily agree with him. Others blamed the league and players union for not reaching a compromise.
The dispute is unprecedented for a professional sports league. Players have refused to play on certain holy days, most notably Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1965 World Series, but none has ever been punished for refusing to stand for the national anthem, nor has any player ever taken such a stand.
Muhammad Ali cited his Muslim faith in refusing to serve in the Army in Vietnam and was subsequently banned from boxing. Track and field athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith were vilified for raising their fists in a "black power" salute during the national anthem at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations also is sympathetic to Abdul-Rauf's decision as a matter of religious freedom, said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington-based group.
The council later issued a statement that said it had sought the opinions of Muslim scholars and the majority agree that "standing out of respect for a nation's national anthem does not constitute an act of worship."
Hakeem Olajuwon, the star center for the two-time defending champion Houston Rockets, the Koran teaches respect for the customs and traditions in whichever country one lives.
"It's tough for me to understand his position, but in general the Muslim teaching is to obey and respect. To be a good Muslim is to be a good citizen," he said.
Nothing in Islamic teachings would bar standing during the national anthem or wearing the U.S. flag, as Olajuwon will do at the Olympics this summer, he said.
"The difference must be distinguished between worship and respect," he said. "Islam orders you to obey and respect, as long as you are not worshiping anything other than God."