Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf made his statement, and Chicago Bulls' fans made theirs: Cheers for the national anthem, boos for him.
Abdul-Rauf stood silently in line with his Denver teammates Friday night as Bulls fans cheered loudly throughout the national anthem. A few fans behind the Nuggets' bench displayed a large American flag.Abdul-Rauf, eyes closed, held his hands near his face in a praying position during soloist Suzanne Shields' 87-second rendition.
The cheers were a stark contrast to the boos that greeted Abdul-Rauf when he entered the game at the 6:57 mark. Abdul-Rauf then silenced the crowd by making a 17-foot jump shot the first time he touched the ball.
"I didn't even hear it," said Abdul-Rauf, who finished with 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting as his Nuggets were routed 108-87 by the Bulls. "I don't go out listening for those things. I go out trying to stay focused on what I need to do. As long as I go out and give my all, that's all I can ask for."
Bulls star Michael Jordan said he anticipated the cheers for the anthem and the boos for Abdul-Rauf.
"Chicago is that type of town - very loyal and blue-collar," Jordan said. "But he showed he has strong character in just playing the game.
"He's a good kid. A lot of us might not agree with his views, but you've got to respect him standing up for what he believes in and then being willing to compromise that stance."
The game capped a furor-filled week for Abdul-Rauf, who said he wouldn't stand for the national anthem because it is a form of nationalistic worship forbidden by his Islam religion. He also called the U.S. flag a symbol of "oppression and tyranny."
The NBA suspended him Tuesday, and he missed that night's home game against Orlando. But the league reinstated Abdul-Rauf on Thursday after he agreed to stand - and pray - during the anthem.
Abdul-Rauf, who had missed four games prior to his suspension with an ankle injury, said before Friday's contest that he spent the day doing "the usual - pray, read, telephone. I pray five times a day."
He would not comment about what he prayed for during the anthem.
On Thursday, he told ESPN: "I'll stand, I will offer a prayer, my own prayer, for those who are suffering - Muslim, Caucasian, African-American, Asian or whoever is in that position, whoever is experiencing difficulty. This is what I cry out for.
"Now I recognize there is a better approach. In Islam, you honor your contract. And if after making a decision, you see that which is better, you do that.
"Am I sorry for it? Do I feel I'm wrong for doing what I did? No. This is what I believe. I'm not wrong for the stance I took. In no way am I compromising."