Houston Rockets guard James Harden said he did not intend to make a political statement by wearing a "Thin Blue Line" mask Thursday and that he was unaware of what the mask represented.
The Thin Blue Line - the American flag with a blue line as one of the stripes - shows support for law enforcement. That flag, as well as the Punisher skull that was on Harden's mask, are sometimes seen as symbols that are against the Black Lives Matter movement.
Photographs of Harden wearing the mask, a neck gaiter pulled over his face, published by the Rockets' and NBA's social media accounts provoked strong reactions from people on both sides of the issue.