The NBA’s attempt to turn their sport into a platform for anti-racist imagery and symbolism took a turn on Friday night, when Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell appeared to call Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, a “B*tch Ass white boy.”
The incident happened after a particularly physical play when Harrell made a strong move past Doncic to score. As Harrell backpedaled his way across the court, he appeared to shout “B*tch Ass white boy” at Doncic.
The two nearly scrapped moments later after Doncic looked down on Harrell after he fell.
Interesting that the announcer seemed to find Doncic’s downward gaze to be a more offensive action than Harrell’s racist words. Even more interesting that a league consumed with racial politics has yet to suspend Harrell. Not to mention that a quick Google search of Montrezl Harrell reveals only articles about how the player’s late grandmother inspired his love for basketball, and nothing from the social justice-minded sports media about his racist comments.
Had the roles been reversed, and Doncic had shouted a similar racial insult at Harrell, Doncic might be on the first thing smoking back to Slovenia by now. Though, perhaps this level of hypocrisy shouldn’t come as a surprise from a league that maintains close business ties to China, the world’s largest human rights abuser, while simultaneously claiming to embrace and defend human rights here at home.
Enakopravnost, the social justice message Doncic chose to put on the back of his jersey, means “equality” in Slovenian. It is apparent that equality does not currently exist in the NBA.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn