Andrew Bogut grew up in a richly diverse area of Melbourne, Australia, and has estimated that he went to school with people from nearly 100 different nationalities.

He has fondly referred to his home as a tolerant and inclusive community, one largely devoid of racial tension that many of his NBA teammates faced growing up in the United States. But Bogut and other international players have been on the periphery, if not part of, discussions in locker rooms as their teammates address social issues like police brutality and racial profiling, concerns that prompted Colin Kaepernick to begin kneeling during the nation anthem in September.

When Bogut reported to training camp with the Dallas Mavericks and the subject of anthem protests started to surface, he said he couldn’t really identify with the plight of some of his African-American teammates who were considering joining the San Francisco 49ers quarterback and others in the demonstrations.

“I think it’s a country that prides itself on free speech,” Bogut said of the U.S. “And if … they want to do that it’s more than their right. On a personal level, I know there’s a lot of history here that goes centuries back that I don’t really relate to too much growing up in Australia.”