Corner Three Houston guard Chris Paul was courtside for Game 7 of the Western Conference finals (just like the rapper Lil Wayne), but he might be able to make up for that disappointment this summer. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images You ask; I answer. Every week in this space, I’ll field three questions posed via email at sportsnyt@gmail.com. (Please include your first and last name, as well as the city you’re writing in from, to enhance the chances your question is chosen.) Q: I love Steve Kerr and his rips of the N.F.L. — but the N.B.A. actually has a stricter anthem policy. Right? I've never figured out why we don't see more protests in the socially progressive N.B.A. I will hang up and listen. — Tim Cowlishaw (Dallas)



STEIN: Yes, friends. That's THE Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News, “Around The Horn” and ESPN Radio Dallas 103.3 FM fame. He's a good friend and a great question-asker, obviously, so this one had to be tackled.



The N.B.A.'s anthem policy was actually instituted by the Larry O'Brien regime, even before David Stern took charge of the league as commissioner. It states that players, coaches and support staffers must "stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or on the foul line" during the anthem, which is a measure that the league adopted because it didn't want its players or anyone else associated with the team to be seen shooting warm-up shots or engaging in any other game-prepatory activities while the anthem was playing.



The reality is that, while the policy remains in place in 2018, I would expect Adam Silver's N.B.A. to take zero action against kneeling players. We've seen multiple such protests in the W.N.B.A. — which is essentially governed by the same rules employed by the N.B.A. — and no one has been sanctioned for kneeling.



The W.N.B.A. did fine several players pre-Colin Kaepernick in the summer of 2016 for wearing T-shirts protesting racial injustice, apparently violating the league’s uniform rules, but the outcry against the league was so strong that those fines were rescinded.



Also: When LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Garnett wore "I Can't Breathe" T-shirts before a game in 2014 to call attention to the death of Eric Garner in a police brutality case, no punishment was meted out by the league office even though the shirts technically violated the N.B.A.'s dress code.



Should the N.B.A. be questioned for not amending its anthem policy to something less stringent in the wake of the ongoing debate stemming from Kaepernick's protests? For sure.



But the league decided going into this season to address this complicated matter in a different manner. Silver and the N.B.P.A. Executive Director Michele Roberts chose to jointly encourage players to continue to be outspoken on the social issues that matter to them — but without involving the anthem.



What would happen if players ignored those recommendations? What if James or Stephen Curry chose to kneel during the anthem before Thursday night's Game 1 of the N.B.A. finals? I believe, again, that the league would take no action.



I'm by no means an N.F.L. expert, but my understanding is that the new anthem policy was unilaterally imposed on its players. The N.B.A.'s longstanding anthem policy remains in place — which is a big reason Kerr's criticism of the N.F.L. policy drew such a backlash last week — but the league and the union are working in concert in basketball.



On-court conduct rules in the N.B.A. are collectively bargained, so the union has, in effect, signed off on the league's anthem rules.



Q: Chris Paul left the Clippers aiming to find a fresh start and success with the Rockets. But after they blew a 3-2 lead in the conference finals and after Paul missed Games 6 and 7 with a hamstring injury — has anything really changed? — @SoCal_Hoops



STEIN: Had to take this question from Twitter because I liked the way it was phrased. And I totally get these sentiments.



But I have nothing but admiration for the Rockets on the day after the heartbreak of losing a Game 7 at home. They will go under the microscope now and all their flaws will be rightfully nitpicked. From me, though, it's going to be praise and thanks first.



Focus all you want on Paul's latest injury setback ... or James Harden's inevitable inability to sustain his efficiency while getting worn down as the playoffs progressed ... or the criticism Mike D'Antoni is getting for not trusting enough of his reserves to ensure he'd have more players to rely on in the event someone as important as CP3 got hurt.



I'd rather applaud the Rockets for what they achieved — especially since they didn't just lose Paul but also the key reserve Luc Mbah a Moute. They told the world as far back as June 2017 that they were gunning for the Warriors and almost pulled it off.



D'Antoni? The patriarch of Seven Seconds Or Less merely tweaked his offensive system dramatically to accommodate both Harden and Paul; no less an authority than Kevin Durant said after Game 7 that he questioned the fit "the same way every basketball fan thought when they came together."



And Paul, in particular, smashed through his longstanding second-round barrier pretty emphatically before his hamstring gave out.



The postgame reactions from the Rockets when their season ended were so raw. They weren't afraid to let us see that emotion, which is what I might remember most from Houston's run. I'm also officially on the national board now for the P.J. Tucker Fan Club — and you can likewise safely assume that the ever-aggressive Houston General Manager Daryl Morey, with the backing of his new owner Tilman Fertitta, will continue to up the Rockets' "risk profile," as Morey would say, to keep making moves to try to close the gap with the Warriors.



How anyone could grade Paul's move to the Rockets as anything but a massive success is beyond me. And that's before we even get to his recruiting efforts in free agency.



Q: What are you calling this fourth installment of Cavs/Warriors in the N.B.A. finals? What's the official nickname for this series? — Jeff M (Cleveland)



STEIN: I'm stumped.



I'm also open to suggestions.



I felt very strongly about using "threematch" at every opportunity during last season's finals. But I welcome reader nominations for a catchy tag to use for Act IV.



Send 'em in.