Around the League 2020 Playoffs

[vincecarter4pres]

I think you guys would be proud to know, I spent the better part of an hour and a half this morning and early afternoon trolling a couple Knicks fans on Twitter. It was glorious.

[MrDollarBills]

This forum is not the proper vehicle to have a nuanced discussion on race. I will give you 1 nugget of knowledge: you can't make even comparisons on slurs, within a power disparity. Context is everything.

If roles were truly reversed, and Harrell were part of the hegemonic ethnicity, and Luka part of an underprivileged class, then you would have some merit. Still, the words themselves aren't a racial slur at all. That would be like Doncic calling Montrezl a "poor ass black boy". He'd have to do some serious explaining with in his locker room afterward, but I don't think that would be a finable offense, and unlike Harrell he'd actually be punching down as the hegemonic group.

You could say cracker or honky, redneck or hillbilly are slur-adjacent. If Trez had said one of these, you might could maybe kinda make a case. None of those have the sting of a lot of words that white people have used against black people in this country. To claim anything else is a false dichotomy.

I'm not going to compare calling someone a "bitch ass white boy" to the n-word. There is a historical context here at play that doesn't even make the two things remotely on the same level.

However, if Harrell had called simply called Doncic a bitch, it wouldn't be an issue. That's trash talk. Injecting race into it is the issue that I have with what Trez said. There's no need for that, ever.

Also, I disagree.If Doncic were to call him a "poor ass Black boy", that would be racist as hell and there would be a serious problem.

[TheNetsFan]

This forum is not the proper vehicle to have a nuanced discussion on race. I will give you 1 nugget of knowledge: you can't make even comparisons on slurs, within a power disparity. Context is everything.

If roles were truly reversed, and Harrell were part of the hegemonic ethnicity, and Luka part of an underprivileged class, then you would have some merit. Still, the words themselves aren't a racial slur at all. That would be like Doncic calling Montrezl a "poor ass black boy". He'd have to do some serious explaining with in his locker room afterward, but I don't think that would be a finable offense, and unlike Harrell he'd actually be punching down as the hegemonic group.

You could say cracker or honky, redneck or hillbilly are slur-adjacent. If Trez had said one of these, you might could maybe kinda make a case. None of those have the sting of a lot of words that white people have used against black people in this country. To claim anything else is a false dichotomy.

I'm not going to compare calling someone a "bitch ass white boy" to the n-word. There is a historical context here at play that doesn't even make the two things remotely on the same level.

However, if Harrell had called simply called Doncic a bitch, it wouldn't be an issue. That's trash talk. Injecting race into it is the issue that I have with what Trez said. There's no need for that, ever.

Also, I disagree.If Doncic were to call him a "poor ass Black boy", that would be racist as hell and there would be a serious problem.

I don't want to get deep into a racism debate, but let's pump the breaks gently on power disparities & hegemonic ethnicities. Painting all "caucasions" as some ruling/dominant class, which in the US has historically been comprised of Anglo-Saxon Protestants, sometimes contributes to tensions in my opinion.

Since this involves Luka, look at what many people in war torn countries in and around the for Yugoslavia have had to endure. They show up in the US, and they're immediately part of a hegemonic ethnicity? Granted, I believe Luka group up fairly well off, but other current and former NBA players from that region were not. Are people of Middle Eastern decent who either lived or whose ancestors lived under dictators, and who are often harassed and profiled in the US, but are also considered Caucasians part if this hegemonic ethnicity? What about immigrant cultures like the Jews, Italians, Greeks, etc. that came over in the early 1900s and were attacked (or there businesses destroyed because the KKK would attack customers that patronized Greek businesses in the South) by the KKK when it was at its strongest. Are they also now part of this same hegemonic ethnicity?

In the 1920s, KKK members would hand out cards at polling places that read:

At U.S. election polls, Klansmen passed out cards which crudely and defiantly declared:

When cotton grows on the fig tree
And alfalfa hangs on the rose
When the aliens run the United States
And the Jews grow a straight nose
When the Pope is praised by every one
In the land of Uncle Sam
And a Greek is elected President
THEN–the Ku Klux won’t be worth a damn

https://www.pappaspost.com/forgotten-history-the-klan-vs-americans-of-greek-heritage-in-an-era-of-hate-and-the-birth-of-the-ahepa/

Granted, the rate of improvement in racial relations, for lack of a better term, has been much better for olive skinned people, but I don't know if I would still call them part of one hegemonic ethnicity.

I agree with MDB, that the league should discipline him. You can't preach equality & tolerance, but turn a blind eye to any type of abhorrent behavior/dialogue that invokes race. That's especially true in a league that has as strong of a racial disparity as the NBA.

[Claud]

You guys remember when everyone was saying the 76ers were building a dynasty and were considered elite?> I member.

They ruined Hinkie's dream

We dodged another huge bullet with Tobias Harris, not to mention Horford has 3/90 left on his contract

They are fkd. They're going to have to trade one of Embiid/Simmons and try again.

[MrDollarBills]

Philly got swept like we are going to be later, but if I was a Sixer fan I would be calling for Elton Brand's head. That's a lot of money on the court to be getting swept regardless of Ben being out.

I just hope Tobias Harris will be okay, that fall was horrific

[MrDollarBills]

So the league and the Clippers approached Harrell about what he said. According to Mike Breen, Harrell went up to Luka before the game today and apologized.

I still think that Harrell should have been fined 10k for what he said, but it's good that he was apologetic and went up to Doncic like a man and spoke about it.

Edit: they just showed it. Respect to both guys for talking to each other, and squashing this. You wish things like this could be resolved easily all over this country.

[CalamityX12]

Throwing things here:

1. Hello Ana Horford... ay dios mio

2. That’s on Horford for signing in Philly. I mean, nothing really suggest that you and Embiid fit on the court together... nvm you Simmons as well.... didn’t make sense then(idk he went title chasing or money chasing) and proves it now... a team like US would’ve excelled and benefited the most with his impact...

3. I too think Harrell should’ve been fined, not a killer amount, but fined none the less. Doesn’t make him a degenerate or scumbag, I totally understood where he was coming from on the court(if you haven’t played street ball or most sports outside of organized environments, then you wont’). However, it’s a bad sign/double standard IMO to left unscathed.... his name shouldn’t be dragged through the mud nor condemned for it, but an acknowledgement from the league to illustrate that those words have no place for any future wanna he’s.

Felt good that I heard he did went up to Doncic to apologize and squash it. Couldn’t be happier and that’s how it should be displayed if trash talked ever crossed the line. Unfortunately, from the league perspective it’ll be very disappointing if it went unscathed during these PC times we are enduring and promoting.

[CalamityX12]

I want a Luka...

[gigantes]

Yeah, nice moment indeed:
https://streamable.com/ei3wgk

[CalamityX12]

I know that body language..... Doncic is spent

[CalamityX12]

Carlisle might want to switch out Doncic for def. purposes for this one....

[gigantes]

Wow, just realised that the Raps and Celts play each other next.

That's going to suck for the loser, since those are probably the two hottest teams in the league, maybe even the two best teams in the whole league at this point. In an alternate reality they're meeting in the finals, instead.

[CalamityX12]

Had enough for that spinny..... go Luka

[MrDollarBills]

LUKA THE DON!!! COLD AF

[CalamityX12]

OMG... such a horrible shot selection(fatigued driven IMO).... BUT LUKAAAAAAA

Omg LOL

[MrDollarBills]

Throwing things here:

1. Hello Ana Horford... ay dios mio

2. That’s on Horford for signing in Philly. I mean, nothing really suggest that you and Embiid fit on the court together... nvm you Simmons as well.... didn’t make sense then(idk he went title chasing or money chasing) and proves it now... a team like US would’ve excelled and benefited the most with his impact...

3. I too think Harrell should’ve been fined, not a killer amount, but fined none the less. Doesn’t make him a degenerate or scumbag, I totally understood where he was coming from on the court(if you haven’t played street ball or most sports outside of organized environments, then you wont’). However, it’s a bad sign/double standard IMO to left unscathed.... his name shouldn’t be dragged through the mud nor condemned for it, but an acknowledgement from the league to illustrate that those words have no place for any future wanna he’s.

Felt good that I heard he did went up to Doncic to apologize and squash it. Couldn’t be happier and that’s how it should be displayed if trash talked ever crossed the line. Unfortunately, from the league perspective it’ll be very disappointing if it went unscathed during these PC times we are enduring and promoting.

He should have been fined, but frankly racial incidents between players in the NBA are a rarity so I'm not sure if they even know how to handle it without it blowing out of proportion. Dudes talk ****, even Larry Bird talked **** to a coach for having the audacity to put a white player on him back in the day. But there's no need to say that stuff, especially when you are pros. Either way props to Harrell for owning up to something that was said in the heat of the moment, and Luka for accepting his apology and moving on. Felt good to actually see them just talk it out.

Believe me, where I came from, when white dudes would come ball with us, dudes would talk extra **** to them because they were white and bust their balls. It's not unheard of. Doesn't make it right either especially when you get into saying stuff that you know would cause a fight if it was the other way around.

[MrDollarBills]

Yeah, nice moment indeed:
https://streamable.com/ei3wgk

This is some real **** right here. I wish this was the norm after someone makes a mistake like that. Be humble enough to listen, understand why what you said was wrong, and take the initiative to make it right. Respect.

[NyCeEvO]

LUKA THE DON!!! COLD AF

I was on the phone when that happened. It took everything within me not to yell out loud. Instead, I just stuttered and had a few seconds to collect myself before continuing the conversation.

[NyCeEvO]

OMG... such a horrible shot selection(fatigued driven IMO).... BUT LUKAAAAAAA

Omg LOL

Paul George: “That’s a bad shot...again.”

[gigantes]

Damn, I've never seen an accident like this... Tobias going straight up to help take away a shot and getting his legs freakishly pulled right out from under him.
https://streamable.com/b5mev4
https://streamable.com/qcoaf0 (replay)

Fortunately he had the presence to get his left arm under him, helping break the fall. Otherwise...