Colin Kaepernick, Stephen Curry
 

Four short NFL seasons ago, Colin Kaepernick was the darling of the Bay Area when he led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance. Now Kaepernick is the second-string quarterback in San Francisco, and his image has taken a hit because of his ongoing protest of not standing for the national anthem.

Meanwhile, the unquestioned face of Bay Area sports is Stephen Curry, the two-time reigning NBA MVP. On Wednesday, Kaepernick's efforts got a stamp of approval from the Warriors' star.

"I love that," Curry said in an interview with CNBC. "I love that there's freedom of speech and that he can stand for what he believes in. There's gonna be people that disagree with him. There's gonna be people that agree with him, which is what I think our country stands for. Hopefully it will drive the conversation to the bettering the equal rights and treatment of African-Americans and people of color."

Curry went on to highlight the $1 million Kaepernick has pledged to give to organizations and efforts in conjunction with his cause.

"I hope that all resources and conversations and intellect across the country will be able to figure out a way to make that million dollars as powerful as it can be ... He's on the right track," Curry says.

Curry has been an outspoken advocate for gun safety, but he has stayed away from addressing the HB2 "Bathroom Bill" in his home state of North Carolina, which moved the 2017 NBA All-Star Game away from Charlotte. Curry graduated from Charlotte Christian School in 2006.

The 49ers open the regular season at home against the Rams on Monday Night Football.

-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.