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MIAMI -- Whatever the Detroit Pistons decide to do when it comes to protests that call for societal change this season, theyll have the support of coach Stan Van Gundy.Hes urging them to make an impact.As NBA teams began gathering Friday to start training camps -- three teams hold their first practices Saturday, while 27 others get going in the coming days -- an issue each is addressing is how players and coaches can help create substantive change in cities across the country. The NBA and the players union urged teams this week to develop ideas in a memo this week.No one can be happy with whats going on right now, Van Gundy said Friday. I like what (Golden State coach) Steve Kerr said. Wherever you are on the political spectrum, I dont think a thinking person can say, `This isnt a problem. I mean, were shooting unarmed people -- and youve got to think largely, they are seen as threats largely because of their race. I mean, its hard to fathom.Similar sentiments have been expressed around the league for months, as the list of U.S. cities dealing with protests -including Baltimore, Milwaukee, Chicago, New York, Ferguson, Missouri and now Tulsa, Oklahoma and Charlotte -- over the death of black men at the hands of police.Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul talked openly about it in July, standing side-by-side on television. At media days Friday in Oklahoma City, Houston and New Orleans, it was a major topic. Around the rest of the league, itll be the same Monday.In a league where about 75 percent of the players are black and some have enormous social-media followings, plenty of eyes will be on the NBA to see what it does after NFL players and some athletes from other sports have taken to kneeling during national anthems or raising a fist in an effort to spark discussion about race relations and other matters.Were not looking forward to protesting stuff, New Orleans Quincy Pondexter said. Were looking forward to solutions.The NBA has a rule saying players and staff must stand for the playing of the national anthem, and 20 years ago Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was suspended for a game for refusing to stand for the anthem. Abdul-Rauf, who did not respond to interview requests this week, said then that he felt the flag was a symbol of oppression.Despite that rule, which the NBA did not mention in its memo to teams, Houstons James Harden said protests on NBA courts are possible.The Rockets All-Star called the decision by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to kneel or sit during the anthem a powerful statement.Hes standing up for what he believes in, Harden said. Devastating that all these people are just dying, dying for no reason. Families are grieving, just a tough situation, especially from men and women who are supposed to be protecting us. But each individual has their own beliefs on how they go about handling it and youve got to respect it.Harden said Rockets players will decide what to do individually. New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry wants the Pelicans to have a unified approach, a stance echoed by New York Knicks President Phil Jackson.We want them to do something that they all feel genuine about, Jackson said.New Orleans center Anthony Davis said seeing frustration and violence in recent months has prompted him to become even more community-minded, with hopes that actions go deeper than any words could.We have the power to do stuff other people cant, Davis said. So I think we have to use that.For Van Gundy, it goes much deeper than just reacting to shootings.He spoke at length about urging the Pistons to vote and how the organization responded to a water crisis in Flint, Michigan. He also talked about how Pistons forward Marcus Morris had a 6-year-old cousin injured by gunfire this summer; the boy survived, even though the vehicle he was in was caught in a flurry of crossfire.Issues like those are why Van Gundy said the question of whether NBA players will kneel for the anthem is far less important than many might suggest.Theres so much to focus on, Van Gundy said. And I think its great that we have players that want to be part of that conversation, and a lot of players that want to go beyond the conversation and be part of the solution.Finding that solution wont be easy.I dont have an answer. Nobody has an answer, Oklahoma Citys Russell Westbrook said. If that was the case, we would have fixed it.---AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in New York and AP Sports Writers Noah Trister in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Kristie Rieken in Houston, Cliff Brunt in Oklahoma City and Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.Emmanuel Clase Jersey .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night. Phillips Valdez Jersey . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. https://www.cheaprangersbaseball.com/1102h-frank-howard-jersey-rangers.html .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Colby Lewis Rangers Jersey . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home. Rangers Jerseys China .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy.PRAGUE -- Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is without a coach for the second time this year after firing former doubles specialist Frantisek Cermak to end a partnership that began in April.Kvitova announced her decision in a statement to local media after she returned from the U.S. Open, where she was eliminated by second-seeded Angelique Kerber 6-3, 7-5 in the fourth round.In January, Kvitova terminated her seven-year partnerrship with coach David Kotyza.dddddddddddd That came after she was eliminated from the second round of the Australian Open.Kvitova has been struggling since, and is ranked 16th. Her major success this year was the bronze from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.She says she has nobody to replace Cermak immediately. ' ' '