The New Orleans Saints are in the limelight, but not for their on-field exploits. Recently, their quarterback Drew Brees has been in the midst of a controversy over his comments on the widespread protests against racial and social injustice.

Brees quickly issued an apology that didn’t go down well with the United States President Donald Trump. However, the Saints’ quarterback stood up to the world leader.

He was praised for his gumption by many, including acclaimed film director Spike Lee.

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According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Lee spoke to several Saints’ players over a Zoom call. He shared his experiences on racial injustice and also complimented Brees for standing up to Trump. Schefter said that the players loved their interaction with Lee.

Last week Brees had drawn criticism from all quarters for saying that players who protested against racial or social injustice during the national anthem by taking a knee, were disrespecting the flag.

Trump says no kneeling

After the backlash, Brees had retracted his statement and issued an apology. Trump seized this as an opportunity to reaffirm his narrative that all players should respect the national anthem and the flag.

The US president said that Brees should not have apologized or backed down from his original stance. Trump said that “There were other things to protest,” but not the national flag.

Drew Brees says protests not about disrespecting the flag

Soon after the President’s public admonition on Twitter, Brees responded via his Instagram. He addressed the president directly and said that the protests have never been about disrespecting the flag, but about drawing attention to the bigger problem of racial injustice in the country.

It is understood that Lee must have seen Brees’ Instagram post and praised him for standing tall on his intention to be part of the solution.

Spike Lee is the director of the Oscar-winning 2018 movie the BlacKkKlansman, which tells the story of an African-American cop on a mission to infiltrate the white supremacist group Ku Klux Klan.

His films have often drawn attention to racial discrimination in the United States. His breakthrough movie ‘Do the Right Thing’ in 1989 shed light on police brutality and its impact on African-American communities.