HOUSTON -- Former Clemson star DeAndre Hopkins said he respects Tigers coach Dabo Swinney. The Houston Texans receiver also made it clear that he thinks Swinneys recent comments about 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernicks anthem protest showed a lack of understanding.You cant speak on something unless youve been put in that situation, Hopkins told The Associated Press. I wouldnt speak on something about something else if I had no idea what was going on or how they felt because I couldnt relate to it. So I dont suggest anybody else do it.Swinney talked at length about Kaepernicks protest Tuesday and said he wouldnt discipline his players for protesting the national anthem because they have that right. However, thats a moot point at Clemson because players remain in the locker room while the anthem is played.The coach then added that he disagrees with Kaepernicks protest because it creates more divisiveness, more division.I think theres a better way, Swinney said. How about call a press conference? Express your feelings. Everybody will show up, talk about it. Go and be a part of things, and protest them. Thats great. I think everybody has that right. I certainly respect that. But I just think that this just creates more division. Thats what I hate to see.Hopkins grew up in Central, South Carolina and played at Clemson for Swinney from 2010-12. The Pro Bowl player wanted to be clear that he was not against Swinney, simply that its hard for someone in his position to understand things that black people go through.Hopkins dealt with numerous incidents of racism growing up in South Carolina. He shared a story of going to a new school that was predominantly white as a middle schooler.I was getting called (the n-word) a lot and I just knew it was offensive and me being me I went to the principal and I told him: `These guys are calling me this name, what should I do, Hopkins said. And the principal was a white guy and he said: `Get used to it, youre going to deal with it your whole life.Those words still linger with Hopkins all these years later and will probably never go away. Thats why he believes its best for those who dont understand what its like to endure such things not to tell him or anyone else how they should combat racism.I think its hard to speak on something that you cant relate to, Hopkins said. You cant put yourself in other shoes because youve never been in poverty or in situations where you had people look at you and judge you because of your color.Kaepernick has protested what he says is the oppression of blacks and other minorities.---AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFLBobby Evans Youth Jersey . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. 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SINGAPORE -- A physically spent Svetlana Kuznetsova claimed a draining 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 win over defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska in nearly 3 hours at the WTA Finals on Monday.Kuznetsova, who saved a match point on Radwanskas serve near the end, eventually prevailed on a third match point to break Radwanskas serve.At some point, I was just ready to let it go, just lay on the court and let them take me out of here, Kuznetsova told the cheering crowd. I was just trying to stay in there and hang in there.Kuznetsova was the final player to earn a berth into the eight-player, year-end championships when she defended her Moscow title Saturday.The Russian arrived in Singapore on Sunday afternoon after a grueling four weeks of chasing a spot in the WTA Finals for the first time since 2009. She played three tournaments in China ahead of taking a wild card into the Moscow tournament.In a bizarre move while trailing 1-2 and down a break in the third set, Kuznetsova took a pair of scissors to the back of her head and cut off a portion of her braid during the changeover.It was bothering me a lot, said the Russian, who asked the umpire to have scissors brought to the court. When I was hitting forehands, every time I would hit a good shot, it would hit my eye.ddddddddddddShe added: I thought, OK, whats more important now, my hair, which I can let grow, or the match?Kuznetsova broke Radwanskas serve after the impromptu haircut, but after dropping her serve again in the fifth game, she cried into her towel on the changeover.Still, trailing 2-4, Kuznetsova refused to surrender and climbed back into the set.The hair Kuznetsova chopped off remained on her chair for the remainder of the match.The drama continued in the second match, when Karolina Pliskova, who was up by a set and a break, came back from 2-5 down in the third set to defeat Garbine Muguruza 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-5.Muguruza had one match point at 5-2, 40-30, but couldnt close down Pliskova, who won 20 of the final 24 points.Im very happy that I made it, said Pliskova, making her WTA Finals debut this week in singles and doubles. This doesnt happen every day.Kuznetsova and Pliskova stand at 1-0 in White Group action, while Radwanska and Muguruza are 0-1. ' ' '