Tuesday on CNN’s “The Lead,” while discussing San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refusing to stand for the playing of the national anthem at a preseason football game, former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said Kaepernick was “doing just what Thomas Jefferson said should be done to speak out.” Abdul-Jabbar said, “I think the best way for me to describe it, is he is doing just what Thomas Jefferson said should be done to speak out. Jefferson said it was important to protect the speech of people you don’t agree with, not the ones you do agree with. Freedom of speech is what helps make our country the greatest on earth. And we have to protect it for everybody. Mr. Kaepernick has issues he wants discussed. Maybe people don’t like his style or timing, but he is trying to call attention to issues important to him.” Abdul-Jabbar added that he did understand the anger over Kaepernick’s actions, saying, “I understand their displeasure with his choice of venue. You can argue with him about that. But what he is doing, calling attention to something that is important to him, I think it is also equally important to him. At least, and you know, the whole idea