posted by Sam Richards
So this guy, Don “Moose” Lewis, wants to start a basketball league for white guys because, among other reasons, white guys need a place to play that “traditional brand of basketball” that they know and enjoy. (That photo to the right is what the roster would look like.) It’s easy to scoff at Moose, and not just because of his nickname–because on the face of it this seems blatantly racist. But my thinking is that the issue is more complex than it first appears–and this is why I want some other people to weigh in on the matter.
Moose says “he’s filling market niche,” that there are plenty of (white) guys to don’t like the upscale tempo of basketball that is played professionally today and they should have a chance to complete in venues where they can earn a living. And there are lot of people who would (and should be allowed to) pay money to watch them play. Good point, Moose. Unfortunately for Moose, there are undoubtedly black and brown men (and women) who want to play “white ball” and so they’ll also have to have a chance to show their (white) skills in the slow lane, so to speak?
Maybe I could overlook this moose-sized oversight if Moose didn’t reveal his hand by saying the following:
“With players on other professional teams carrying guns, attacking fans in the stands, and going through the motions of playing the game, fundamentally sound [W]hite players are a vanishing species…Fans have spoken to the AABA asking to restore on court sanity to the game of basketball. Their pleas are our mission. Only players that are natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league.”
First off, the name looks like ABBA, that notoriously white band from the 1970s. 
Bad sign. Second, his words sound more like the standard white racist stance on black and brown people and less like a businessman responding to a market need.
Nonetheless, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and imagine that there are people out there who want to watch a slow style game that only native born white people know how to play. If so, then rock on to his bad self and let’s get to the tip off. Just don’t throw the ball too high…since the white brothers can’t….well, you know….jump. Here’s Moose explaining himself:
The ideal of an all white basketball league is funny because it is an act of blatant racism. The NBA isn’t all black and it doesn’t discriminate against white players. If you have the talent to play and make it to the NBA then it doesn’t matter your race. Don “Moose” Lewis said that he wants white guys to be able to play a “traditional brand of basketball” what is that. So the basketball that they play in the NBA isn’t traditional because it’s integrated. So Lewis would probably love it if blacks had there own league and whites and Asians and who ever else wanted one, so we can all play traditional basketball.
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I don’t think every thing that seemingly depicts segregation can be considered racist. Even so, there will always be extremist points of view considering certain organizations, activities, and social behavior as racist. Judging by Mr. Lewis’s previous experience with basketball players of all colors, shapes and sizes, I’d like to believe that he is simply trying to innovate a game that is a little different than what we’re used to.
What really upsets me is that if the tables were turned, and someone was to form an African American basketball league, we would simply accept it and maybe even say, “yeah I guess that’s pretty cool.”
So why exactly are whites so socially acceptable of acts of racism that are against them, but the second whites try to form something in which they can all collectively identify as a race, it is frowned up and socially unacceptable. Just my two cents..
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Yeah this guy is pretty dumb if he really thinks he is going to get anywhere with this. First of all it definitely is racist. He is saying that if you are not white and you are not American you cannot play on this team. Also, isn’t he sort of insulting himself by founding a team that is “slower” and for a different kind of audience then normal basketball? He is saying what the stereotype has always been that, white people cannot play basketball as well as black people. Being white himself shouldn’t he be trying to end this stereotype instead of creating a team that enforces it?
Also just hearing him talk he sort of sounds and looks like a hick. Not that there is anything wrong with that but he doesn’t “appear” to be very open minded when talking about these things. He also calls it a “niche” but you can’t call the KKK a “niche” can you?
He is regressing back in time when it was one water fountain for white kids and one for black kids. Where whites and blacks could not eat together in restaurants or sit next to each other at sporting events. Why would someone want to blatantly separate people again 40 years later? I just feel like he is getting himself into hot water and he will have a hard time getting out of it if he continues with his plans. He also says that it will get people in the seats but I think that the opposite will happen. There will probably be more of an uproar and protesting and very little actual attendance to the games.
I agree with what the president of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP said about him looking, acting, and quaking like a duck. It is true just because someone thinks of a reason other than racism for acting a certain way does not mean that it doesn’t fit in somehow.
Another thing that was funny about the interview was the news anchor said that he has worked with black people and is planning a boxing tournament in Nigeria. Like this somehow shows that he can’t be racist. This is like when you are talking to someone and they say, “I’m not racist, I have black friends!” This seriously means nothing. Sometimes when people say this it makes me think they are racist because why even bring it up? Its like in the Mulvey book we had to read, when she says that they befriended a black paralyzed man at the hospital. Her father was friends with him but still had feelings towards other black people that could be construed as racist.
Either way this is a bad idea and I don’t think it will help Moose or the players on the team win any equality points in the eyes of the public.
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Part 1: I believe that Don “Moose” Lewis’s all-white basketball league is absolutely ridiculous. Opening and running a basketball league for United States born citizens is just racist and xenophobic on many different levels. What is most amazing to me is Don “Moose” Lewis’s strange and illogical justification. I believe Professor Sam Richards made a really good point when he said that white American basketball players play a special variety of basketball that only white Americans can play. Moreover, I am sure this all-whites slow game league is not going to be an interesting basketball game to watch, and will just serve the purposes of the sub-par basketball players with racial prejudices. I believe it would have been better if Don “Moose” Lewis just stated the real reason he is starting an all-whites league, to keep other races out. Otherwise, it is just insulting to our intelligence to have to listen to Don “Moose” Lewis give some convoluted and ludicrous reason for why only white United States born citizens can play in the game.
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Part 2: Professor Sam Richards taught us in class that Arabs from the Middle East and Arabs from North Africa are considered Caucasian. Don “Moose” Lewis stated that the league is for Caucasians. Thus, it would be a very interesting experiment to see how Don “Moose” Lewis and the other white United State citizen basketball players would react to playing with or against a United State citizen of Arabic descent. The Arab man, after all, is Caucasian. Moreover, what if these white United States citizens play fast style basketball. What if they drunk, play selfishly, and all over attempt to simply wow the crowd than playing fundamentally sound basketball?
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Part 3: Will the league suspend or forbid these types of players from playing? How will this all whites United States citizen basketball league decide on what is considered fast ball. Will there be some sort of board or panel that will fine, suspend, or expel players that play the wrong and improper style of basketball? To keep in the spirit of the slow rules basketball game, there should be some sort of mechanisms in place to preserve that style of play. Perhaps the league should look into rule changes, to ensure that everyone is playing this supposed style of “correct” basketball. All of these issues hopefully highlight how ridiculous and stupid Don “Moose” Lewis’s all whites United States citizen basketball league is. If not racially charged, which it is, then it is boring, uninteresting, and simply strange. Perhaps, they should have an age minimum of 65. That way, it will really be a slow game. This all whites league does bring up some issues about all black or all other race events. If the ultimate goal is integration, then blacks, whites, Asians etc should not be having all-single race events at all.
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I can see where Moose’s train of thought lies and I can see how white people would want to play in an all-white league: because when playing in a sport dominated by amazing black athletes, they could tend to get shut-out and not get enough playing time, or just might not be able to keep up with the fast pace of the game. However, my solution to this all-white basketball league? Tough luck, it will never happen. If you want to play in a game of basketball that you can keep up with, then play a game with your white friends who are equally awkward at basketball as you. You can’t form an official league that excludes one ethnic group without coming off as a complete and utter racist and suffering some serious backlash for it.
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To me this seems just a little bit off. I understand he thinks he is filling a niche and I think if this reason were really the case, for as controversial as it seems, we would have to give this man the benefit of the doubt. However, I just think this tradititional brand of basketball he’s talking about isn’t a niche for white guys, but a niche simply for slow, somewhat worse basketball players. So in that case it would make sense that this type of ball allow all sorts of men to play, because men of different color can all equally be bad or mediocre at basketball. So in that case, the concept of an all white league is racist.
From a marketing standpoint, this racist concept works in. Who wants to watch a bunch of mediocre basketball players play basketball? I know I don't when I could watch faster players pull of some amazing things. So I think by putting the controversy in it he plays on the prejudices of certain white people, those who hold anti-black sentiments and in a way appeals to them not by way of interest in mediocre white men playing basketball but by way of uniting those who more openly harbor prejudiced feelings. Similarly, he plays on the feelings of those who feel this to be completely wrong. I mean look how much attention he’s generated already. His small league, only to be in certain southern cities, has made news all the way up here in Pennsylvania.
Maybe this man himself harbors or does not harbor anti-black sentiments, I don’t really know if we have the right or are in the place to make that assumption based on what he has said. However, the concept itself, a game excluding people of color, is morally wrong to most people. I mean we’ve learned from class, that race is predominately a political category ascertaining power to a certain race. So what does that say about this group? Is this an attempt for the white man to regain their power, ascertain their rights as the “king of the mountain” and rule the basketball court again, because as we’ve all seen there is a growing number of men of color (and that doesn’t mean just African Americans) in the game of basketball. Obviously, I don’t think this is because people of color are better at basketball, but instead they’ve had the opportunities to play and have really taken advantages of these opportunities. We’ve also learned that race is a constantly changing, very blurry subject, a lot of times categorizing a person into a race just doesn’t work. I can’t think off the top of my head of an exception, but I’m sure there are Caucasian men, born in America, that technically fit the rules of playing in the league, but don’t fit this man or other people’s image of the American-born Caucasian.
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Let me just start out my saying I absolutely love the idea. I’m not saying I would pay to go see a game in this “exclusively white” basketball league, but I give Lewis kudos for trying to spread his idea of white man’s basketball. Amidst all the criticisms, this idea does make sense. Think about whenever turn on a NBA game of TV. For the most part, 9 out of the 10 players that are on the court are black. I’m not saying it deters anyone from watching, but it has come to the point where whenever you see a white man on a basketball court, you immediately thing “What’s he doing out there?” or “He must be a good shooter” (mainly because white guys that make it to the NBA nowadays are lights out from 3 point range.) Also it has come to the point where if a white man succeeds in the game it is as if a miracle had occurred. This is where one must take a step back and look at how white man can laugh at himself. Every white man makes comments referring to the limited amount of white people in the NBA and pokes fun at the restricted amount of athletic ability in those white players in the NBA.
I will fully support Lewis’ attempt to start an exclusively white man basketball league. Agreed that is seems a bit racist, but think about the spectators at any given NBA game. It’s obvious that 90 % of the players are black, but 90% of the spectators are white. That is simply because many minorities cant afford expensive ticket prices that the wealthy white men can. Thus, if Lewis capitalizes on having an all white basketball league, I predict the fans will follow. Of course many people still would go to NBA games because players such as Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade are irreplaceable, but think about the mass market it would attract. It would be a more pure style of game play with more focus put on shooting, boxing out, and tight defense; not the bullshit that the NBA has adopted in “street ball” offensive schemes paired with a absolutely pathetic desire to play defense. This new league would mostly attract men probably from 40 and above, as when they played, many of the NBA players at the time were white.
All I’m saying is that is Lewis can find enough support and an adequate amount of funds to supply his new idea, I say why not. We’ve all seen that crazier ideas, that were once thought to be ridiculous, have gone on to thrive and become rather sufficient money making schemes. I say he goes for it and maybe one days ill be watching white man shoot, defend, and try to jump their way to a title.
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I don't really understand why this Moose guy wants to start a white-only league. Frankly, this news is quite disturbing to me. I understand that there is an axiom that "white men can't jump" or that basketball is "no longer a white man's game" (basically since George Mikan left the league in the 60's), but there are several white men in the last 30 years who have really starred in the NBA. Most notably of these is the Legend, Larry Bird, who was known for having a poor vertical, but was a tremendous shooter and hustle player. In addition, players like Steve Kerr, who contributed greatly to the Bulls dynasty of the 1990s (he even won Game 6 of the 1997 Finals) and Chris Mullin, who helped the Golden State Warriors become relevant in the early 1990s and also along with Reggie Miller made the Indiana Pacers a contender, help dispute this claim that white men can't be important in basketball. These three men were far from simply role players.
All that is to say, that the idea of a white man basketball league is not only racist and stupid, its unnecessary. Moose's thinking that the game of basketball would be more civilized is quite simply, a load a crap. In fact, if you look at the most disruptive and violent event that occurred in NBA, "The Malice at the Palace", which was during a Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons basketball game, was instigated by a white fan throwing a beer at an opposing team's player, Ron Artest of the Pacers. I concede that Artest is a highly physical and intense player, but the white fan was the reason that multiple players from each team were subsequently ejected.
I do understand Moose's point about the varying styles of basketball, but the fact remains that the different style is of European basketball, not another style in America. Players who end up in the NBA today grow up with this fast-paced style of basketball, and if they continue to play they must both enjoy the uptempo game, and also be in good enough shape to keep playing. If white players want to play a different style, perhaps more fundamentally-focused, then they are welcome to go to Europe.
Moose even admits that this is a publicity stunt. Perhaps that is all that this is, and all this should be treated as. Hopefully enough states and cities will be smart enough not to participate in this sham of a league. In my opinion, starting a league like this, especially in order to just make money, tarnishes the great game of basketball.
I'm also going to be that guy and point out that Moose's comments are on a Fox News affiliate. Sorry, but it makes you think.
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I don’t think there is any possible way that anyone can look at this and not immediately see racist undertones. I don’t know what Moose’s motive is for creating, or attempting to create, a league such as this but to limit it to a specific race and type of play is absurd. Like we talked about it class, the playing field for professional sports is level among all races and nationalities. While black people seem to dominate the basketball courts today, much in the same manner white people dominate the hockey rinks, golf courses, and tennis courts. It’s hard not to look at Moose’s idea and see racist undertones covered up by the idea of a market “niche.” I’d like to see some sort of poll or statistical data on the amount of people that are requesting this market niche. While ticket sales and attendance will provide that date, it would be nice to have the numbers before there is uproar and the league is already created. While it is no surprise that the NBA used to be predominately white several decades ago, times have changed. The game has evolved since then and players have evolved with it. Typical body types like LeBron James or Kobe Bryant (around 6”7”, 200+ pounds) would never be seen in the league in the 1950s, but now it seems every year someone else joins the league that fits the exact body type. Plain and simple, the game has changed. Not only that, but there are plenty of black basketball players who probably enjoy the slow, “white” version of the game and there are plenty of white people who play the fast-paced game seen in the NBA. The color of a person’s skin doesn’t determine the type of game that they play. I think the best players in the NBA are the ones that can make the necessary adjustments from the college game to the pros. And as far as Moose making comments on the gun carrying and violence of the NBA – this type of behavior is seen across all sports. I don’t see how he can pinpoint it solely to the NBA. Violence/substance abuse on and off the court/field is something that every league is dealing with. For Moose to take these issues seen in the NBA and attempt to create a cleaner, more exclusive game does have some elements of racism to it. If he enjoys the old-school type of basketball, then why can’t he create a league with players that play to that style and rules that will foster that style of play, regardless is they are white, black or purple? Once he makes the league exclusively white, that’s when the yellow penalty flag has to thrown.
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jontroy88 Reply:
March 4th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
I completely agree with you and how Lewis having a league exclusively to white people. Who would be determining if a player is full Caucasian or not? In class we have a hard time determining if someone is white or not. Looking at their parents alone will not help. Then again, what exactly classifies as “white,” is it just people who were born here who has white skin. This guy has no idea what he is talking about especially with the game of basketball. I agree with your statement on how the best players make those adjustments from colleges to the pros and that does not matter what that person looks like on the outside, but it is on the inside and the will of them that make them NBA players.
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Lewis is clearly not a smart businessman if he wants to create this all white league. This league will tank harder than the XFL. No one will watch it and barely anyone would attend these games. Also, where would these games be held? They definitely would not be held in the 13,000+ arenas across the country, so would they be held at high school gyms? I would rather watch a high school basketball game than an all white man league. He states, “fundamentally sound white players are a vanishing species.” All the guys who are in the picture in this post are all fundamentally sound white players and they are definitely not a vanishing species. There are more out there like the two time MVP Steve Nash, who is Canadian but white right? He wants to play “fundamental” basketball, the most fundamental player in the NBA isn’t even white. He goes by his nickname the Big Fundamental and his name is Tim Duncan. Lewis’ argument of making an all white basketball league is stupid.
This guy does not know basketball at all. I feel like he gets his basketball knowledge from all the movies that make fun of white players who cannot play basketball. He wants a slow tempo game where white players can exploit their fundamental skills. As I recall, back in the 1950’s there was a guy named Bob Cousy, who was white, who started the whole fast break and fast tempo of the game. If you watch old clips of how Bob Cousy played, he certainly did not play basketball how Lewis described how white people played. Once Cousy got the ball, he immediately would run down the floor and try to score as quickly as possible. From there the fast pace game was created and more and more players started to duplicate with what Cousy did. Jerry West, the logo of the NBA, Pistol Pete are just a couple of names from the 60’s and 70’s that come to mind who could shoot the ball very well, however, they also had to drive to the basket and play an up tempo style of play in order to be as good as they were. So to say that “white” basketball is a very slow and mostly fundamental type of playing style is just wrong to say. Basketball would not be where it is today unless it was sped up, otherwise it would have been a dying sport and people would not watch it. Lastly, Lewis states that “Fans have spoken to the AABA asking to restore on court sanity to the game of basketball,” then they are definitely not fans of the game of basketball. In the NBA now, you have more guys who are talented and athletically gifted then those who played in the past. If you want to see the BEST basketball, watch the NBA because it has restored the sanity of the game of basketball.
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He doesn't come across as a racist, he does seem a little jealous however. Moose is trying to create a league that might have been popular many years ago, but probably not today. Instead of separating his league by color, he should just set rules that govern the style of play. I think he could fill the league with people from all races who want to play a slower paced, "gentleman's" version of basketball, it's just who the hell is gonna watch it. The only thing entertaining about old school basketball is the shorts they wore.
This day in age, people want to see high flying dunks, not a finger-roll, regardless of how smooth and buttery. I can see where he is going, trying to bring back the styles of Pistol Pete, Larry Bird, and Jerry West, but they don't NEED to be white to bring back the classic moves.
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After reading the post and watching the video clip I think that this idea is completely hilarious. It's funny to think that in order to play the "proper" game of basketball White people have to make their own league. I think that it makes them seem like they can't cut it playing with Black athletes. If you truly think about it, back in the day Black men weren't even allowed to play basketball with White men. Now that they have almost taken over the NBA White people want to make an all White league??? Too funny. "Moose" is suggesting that White players can't compete when playing Black players. Does he really wanna do that?…doubt it.
Looking individually at this "Moose" character makes me laugh in itself. He is completely and utterly ignorant to the World and what is evolving around him that he has to stoop so low as to make an all White basketball league. What is wrong with him? I think that simply he is a racist man. He's clearly trying to divide Whites and Blacks and even stoop so low as to putting down Black players by saying that they don't play the game of basketball in the traditional way it is "meant" to be played. He even goes so far as to saying that these Black players are carrying around guns and fighting fans. He is stereotyping Black people and I think giving his true perception of them. I think "Moose" actually believes the statements that he's making which completely and utterly makes me sick.
I think that if we allow this type of behavior to go on and do in fact go on and make an all White basketball league we are making it okay for people to express their racism freely yet again. I mean sure, we all have the freedom of speech, but when do we put a stop to it and when do people take it too far? This is blatant discrimination and by going through with it we are just creating more and more discrimination. For example, let's say this all White league does become formed and people do begin going to games and supporting the event. What is this going to do for the world? Only make more and more ignorant White people join the bandwagon and allow them to think it's okay for White people to go around discriminating against other races (which certainly shouldn't be seen as morally correct). Once this happens Black people and everyone else supporting equality is going to rebel. There will be protests, petitions, etc. in order to put a stop to this league. It will only cause more and more problems and more and more conflict between people (especially between Blacks and Whites). Isn't it about time that we stop all of this fighting and get along? Ultimately, there shouldn't be a division at all and White and Black players should be able to play together freely as they do now. I think this whole thing is bullshit honestly.
It's crazy to think that we even still have people like this in our world, especially when we have an African American President running the nation…it's time to get over these racist attitudes and radical ideas. People shock me more and more every day.
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To be honest, this is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. For anyone to think it's unfair that white people can't compete in the NBA, GTFO. Believe it or not this is how the grown up world works; if you suck at your job they're gonna give it to someone who can do it better. The NBA isn't unfair to white people, they just can't compete. If you aren't able to keep up in this world, take a backseat bro and get the hell out of our way. This dude is 100% correct about filling a niche. He's filling a niche for all the scrubs that think it's unfair that people are better than them. People in the world need to start understanding that no one is special. You played basketball your whole life and then you try to compete in the NBA and can't do it; real sad, go get a real job, but don't complain that the system is unfair and create your own league to fulfill some ridiculous fantasy. When you get out in the real world, you aren't always going to get what you want. Eventually realizing that maybe you aren't fit for the dream you always had for yourself goes a long way in living a happy life. People in this country think everyone deserves a chance at whatever they want to do; fuck that noise — bring in the good people and weed out the scrubs.
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What if a black man wanted to start a black hockey league? The sport of hockey is dominated by white people the same way that basketball is dominated by black people. If a black man or woman wanted to form an all black hockey league of which the players had to meet qualifications that deemed them all black somehow (now we get into the question how much black is black, yikes) that would be OK.
We have the Miss Black Penn State pageant that competes every year to represent an unrepresented group, and by forming a black hockey league you would be doing the same. So in a sport that is dominated by all black people Don “Moose” Lewis is advocating to start an all white basketball league to represent an underrepresented group. I think that if Moose wants to create an all white basketball league, let him do it. What is the big deal? Let someone else make an all black hockey league to represent black people in a sport where they are underrepresented too.
If you’re offended by something like this, my question is why? We are many years past the civil rights movement and segregation, everyone has a fair shot at whatever they want to do, so let them go and do it! Don’t hold anybody back, equality is the key. Even when this is true, people are going to excel in some areas in not in others, and band with other people that have similar interests as you do. Obviously some sports are dominated by blacks and whites, what is the problem with that? Just because a sport is dominated by one race of people or another doesn’t mean that all races can’t participate. I bet there are a lot more white hunters than there are black hunters, because it’s traditionally been a sport that has been carried out by rural people that are dominantly white. That doesn’t mean that black people don’t hunt and fish, just a lot less of them do than white people.
Think about when you were back in High School and you had to pick a lunch table to sit at. Different groups of people self-segregated themselves in small clicks that usually sat together all the time. That didn’t mean that you couldn’t sit where you wanted to, you just did so and that’s the way things worked out. Maybe an all black NASCAR division should be established and an all white NFL. In my opinion this argument is ridiculous and even though race has become one of the most important issues of any sport, segregation of any type is a step backwards.
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I think that this is an interesting story because there was a similar story on 60 Minutes that discussed the rarity of American White players in the NBA. This article takes the lack of white players in the League to the next level. The NBA is an extremely competitive professional sport that demands the best athletes and players in the world to perform each and every night. Now I am not saying that Blacks have an advantage in this sport, but basketball is more prevalent in the inner city areas around and across the United States of America. Because of this fact, Blacks play this game more so than many other races in the United States. This constant practice and ball playing may add to the skill level and athleticism that Blacks and Brown people have in the League. I think that it is difficult for white players to compete in the NBA now because one they aren’t constantly around the game and GMs and coaches have realized this difference and have capitalized on those who can play the game at the highest level.
On the other hand, Whites from Europe are incredibly successful in the NBA. Again there is a difference in how these white players are introduced to the game. In Europe, there are a number of basketball leagues, schools and resources to fully immerse these white players into the game. As a result, these white players are able to develop a knack for the game where they are able to compete at the highest levels of the game. Players such as Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash have been league MVPs and leading scorers not because they have extra muscles or better genes, but because they have been around a game that they have known for their entire lives. It has become a part of them. These players from Europe are prime examples that the slow White man’s game that is talked about in this article is not true. The game has evolved over the years. It is clear to see the white players and all of Europe and overseas players have developed the routine and procedure to make it and compete in the league. Maybe the White American players should learn from these white players and perfect their game. I think it is a cop out in this article that he makes an argument to create an entire league for whites. I think that this is racist and it is stating that Blacks and Brown people are genetically better than whites in athletic sports. This is just a ridiculous and ignorant statement that is made by “Moose”. Hopefully, in the future we will be able to get pass this and people will mature where they no longer have to make statements such as this.
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As a person who has played organized basketball for over ten years and who loves the sport, I feel obligated to respond to this article. I would first like to say that I despise the National Basketball Association (NBA) and everything that goes along with it. It is not entertaining to me; I do not like the way that these “professionals” play the game. Also, I do not like the negative publicity that goes along with the league. Some of these guys are more worried about selling their shoes than playing for their team. But this is beside the point; personally I would love to see the NBA adopt a more “conservative” and “traditional” style of basketball. What is the style I speak of? Maybe instead of going for a crazy dunk over a seven foot tall guy and his teammate you could look to your left and pass it to your teammate who is probably wide open under the hoop because you drew the defense to you and away from him. It’s the little things that really get on my nerves about the NBA. Like the fact that pretty much every team scores over one hundred points every game. There is no doubt that these players are overly talented, they have had to move the three point line much further away from the basket over the years. This is just a testament to the talent of the players, but just because you can make a basket from forty feet out doesn’t mean you have to, chances are that if you pass the ball there is probably a higher percentage shot that will open up. I just think that the style that used to be played, the “Pistol” Pete Maravich, Wilt “the Stilt” Chamberlin, Julius “Dr. J” Irving, and Larry Bird styles of the game is dead and gone. I love to watch films of old basketball games because that is how I play my game and that is how I think the sport should be played. No doubt, people in those players days thought that their styles were “flashy” and wanted to change the way they played, but it is about more than just the style. These guys busted their asses, they passed, they shot, they dribbled with purpose. They didn’t have big shoe contracts or magazine deals. These guys played the game for what it was, a sport that can untie people and get guys of different backgrounds to come together for a common purpose, to win and have a good time. I cannot tell you how many times I have watched a professional basketball game and seen traveling calls get let go, guys not paying attention on defense, and other guys just blatantly being lazy. It disgusts me to think that the game has come to this point. So I agree with the guy who wants to start the league in this respect, but I do not agree that the league should be an all white league. I know plenty of players who happen to be people of color who feel the same exact way that I do, and would love to see players actually care about the sport. It is disgusting that this man has been given the limelight to represent people that share my views about the sport.
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Okay, so that's fine if you want to make money, fine if you want to have a "traditional" basketball league, but not fine to make it "whites only" so as to leave out everyone else who would want to be a part of it. His reasoning is really off too.. his comment about players on professional teams carrying guns and attacking players is really stereotypical and generalizing. All these professional players that he is generalizing under one black stereotype is completely off. There are so many other kinds of players in the NBA (international and multicultural) and many who play the game beautifully. I understand that middle-aged people and older may have a hard time appreciating how basketball has evolved, and would like to go back to the "traditional" ways, but you cannot completely go back considering how far we have come! Tradition is important, but segregation is not something to be proud of or desired to return to. Plus, like Sam said, there's definitely people who don't fit the required description of the league who would want to participate in this type of basketball, but they wouldn't be allowed to, solely based on their race. How is that not racism?
A sad thing, however, is the amount of support he already has from people for this league. I think the video said he had over 300 responses from 48 hours? Wow. If this gets through, it could start a wave of segregated sports, which like Dr. R.L. White says in the video is a step backwards. Or many steps backwards.
I notice that this league is happening in the South, and I really don't think it would survive in the Northeast or West, because of the grown contemporary society and diversity we have more in those areas than in the South.
And even though in the video "Moose" claims to be "promoting a niche, and not promoting racism," that's definitely what it is doing.
America has grown, we are a diverse nation with much tradition, but going back to a tradition of segregation will only tear us apart and all that growth would be for nothing. I don't think "Moose" is necessarily racist, but this idea of his that he plans to carry out definitely is.
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Although I definitely feel like this is a potentially racist concept, I completely understand where "Moose" is coming from in his idea of an all-white basketball league. In my opinion, basketball has become just as genetic as the 100 meter dash. Like the example Sam showed us in class, the majority of world class sprinters come from equatorial Africa. However, he used the counter argument that anyone can be good at basketball, it is simply blacks who devote the most time and culturally respect basketball the most that attributes for their dominance of the sport at a professional level. I don't agree with this for several reasons. First off, basketball is a sport highly reliant on several factors that are genetic. You have to be tall, fast, and be able to jump high. These factors are not necessarily black or white attributes, but they are genetic. More and more frequently (and this is only in my personal experiences) I see blacks meet these three requirements at a much higher rate than whites. This creates a much larger pool for potential athletes, of which many can determine their level of success through dedication and training. White players in the NBA are rarely over 7 feet tall or known for their massive vertical jumps. They are instead outside passers, shooters, and dribblers (three factors much more dependent on practice than genetics). There are a few players in the NBA who are not nearly as talented as some of these players, but are so genetically dominant (i.e. 7'3") that they succeed at a professional level. An all white league would serve to even the playing field. However, I don't necessarily agree that any professional sport should have an even playing field.
If you do not agree that genetics play a large role in basketball, consider this counter-example. Sam argued that basketball players are predominately black because you only need a basketball and a hoop to be able to play/practice whereas in a sport like hockey you need an assortment of gear. Soccer, on the other hand, is considered the world sport because you need even less than basketball; only a ball (or something round and soft) is necessary to play. This is why soccer is extremely popular in third world and poverty stricken countries. Nevertheless, we do not see a dominance of blacks in soccer. Soccer, instead, has great players from all over the world: Europe, Africa, Latin America, and South America. Why would basketball be so heavily racial if soccer is not?
The bottom line is that all sports require some combination of hard work and genetic predetermination. Certain sports, especially basketball, have more emphasis on genetics than others. For this reason, the league should not be "all white," but instead all under 6' 3" (or something of the sort). Then, we would see a lot more talent (from blacks and whites) and a lot more diverse basketball league.
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This guy, Don “Moose” Lewis, is feeding into the classic southern racism that still exists today. It is hard to believe that after all we have accomplished with racism in the United States, someone is presenting this idea seriously. Being a good basketball player does not have to do with the color of a person’s skin. There are good black basketball players and good white basketball players. Some people argue that black people are taller, and that makes them better. Throughout the NBA there are good basketball players that are very tall, but there are still others that compete on the same level, but are several inches shorter.
This guy says that white guys need a slower paced game where players can play a traditional game of basketball. I find it hard to believe that highly regulated NBA games are non-traditional. If anything, a slower paced all white league would be non-traditional. If there is going to be an all white league, there might as well be a league for every “race” in the United States. Just because a basketball player is black does not mean he is good at the sport. There are many black or brown players who I am sure would appreciate a slower paced game as well.
Another reason for this team was to protect the “fundamentally sound” white players from black players on other professional teams who supposedly carry guns and attack fans in the stands. How is it possible that only black people are responsible for these actions? Would making an all white basketball team truly eliminate this problem? I doubt it. And what if this league for some reason drew black fans to watch it. Would he also eliminate black fans from attending the games as well?
Everything from the name to the reasoning behind creating this team seems totally illogical. AABA instead of ABBA. Is this a coincidence? I do not think so. Aside from the name, does Don “Moose” Lewis really think people are going to watch this game? People hardly watch women’s sports because they are so much slower than men’s sports. How is he going to make people actually watch a bunch of white guys play a slow game of basketball? I hardly believe there is a market out there for this kind of game.
Lewis wants to give white guys the opportunity to earn a living playing basketball. He believes that they do not receive a fair opportunity to compete in the NBA. Is this another form of affirmative action for white people? Does Lewis think white people do not have enough privileges already? To make this team is to reverse the years of hard work in bridging the gaps among the people of our nation.
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The fact that this guy made a league and said only white players can play is racist. I have no problem with the fact that this guy wants to create a league where the 'old school' style of ball is played, but the way he is going about it is just causing commotion and arguments are breaking out. There are much better ways to handle the situation and this guy is not doing it. I don't get why he doesn't want to allow black and brown people to play in his league. Rather than banning them from it, he should just set rules in place to prohibit what ever he doesn't want to occur. For example, he could put a rule in that doesn't allow dunking. Or he could make a rule that prohibits fast breaks. This way, he can guide the game to be played in the manner that he wants with out causing controversy. The one line he says is, "It's not racist…it's entertainment". What does that even mean? The league can't be entertaining if the league is multi-racial? Because that just doesn't make sense.
Then, if you look at the statement that we were given it just digs his hole even deeper. Making remarks like, "asking to restore on court sanity to the game of basketball". What I get from this comment is that you can't have a subtle game a basketball if there are black and brown people on the court. Which just doesn't make any sense. I agree with him that the NBA has drifted from the old school style of play and I would love to see it come back, but making rules like an all white league is not the answer. It's not the players who have ruined the game, it's the over all league. It's all about the money and the league wants to see superstars making sick dunks while half-assed defense allows them to just drive down the lane. And although I don't like the NBA style play, I would love to see the athleticism that these guys have be played in the old school game. Banning players from the league is not the way to go. Because what you get is the scrubs who couldn't play top notch basketball joining the league. In my opinion, the idea of this league sounds good, but the way this guy is going about it is totally wrong.
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I have to agree with Sam on this one, this guy is a complete moron. Who in their right mind would want to watch a bunch of white guys play old school basketball? I remember watching old clips of basketball games in the 1950’s and I couldn’t bare it. Back then there wasn’t even a three-point line to shoot from. Don Lewis is trying to segregate the most universal game in the world. Young kids of various races and ethnicities all over the world play basketball on the streets and in gyms. I doubt white American players want to play the “traditional” way of basketball.
Everyone knows that the NBA is full of black and brown players. It doesn’t detract from the game in any way. These players went through the same paths and obstacles of the white players who play the game. They can shoot just as well as white players and can pass just as well.
I’m sure if you ask American white players if they would want to play in an all white league they would say no. They want to play against the best and with the best. Just because some white players aren’t as fast or can do tomahawk dunks doesn’t mean they should play by themselves.
Another thing that angers me about Don Lewis is that he claims he is not racist. Of course he is. He is segregating blacks and whites and trying to get away with it. If he weren’t racist he would be fine with the way the NBA is run. He is basically claiming that whites don’t have the skill set to play with blacks and that blacks have a physical advantage. He cannot face it that whites are not the best at basketball and needs to make his own league. Its not like a black ice hockey promoter is trying to make a black only hockey league.
In my opinion the “Moose’s” main goal is a traditional type of basketball league. If this is the case why can’t blacks play also? Black people can play “white ball”. Not all of them play fast pace and disregard the fundamentals. You also can’t blame the actions of a few black players on the whole league. Not all black players carry guns and start fights with fans; he is generalizing a lot of people.
All in all I can’t see this league being successful at all. The NBA is supported by black and white fans across the country. People are use to the fast pace of the game and enjoy it. Why would people want to watch a bunch of white people run up and down the court and shoot lay ups wearing short shorts? To make it worse the league name is ABBA. That screams white supremacist in my eyes.
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I am not really sure how I feel about this issue. While part of me thinks that his motives sound a bit racist, I do think he has a point that many white men deserve the chance to play the game and make money, but do not have the opportunity right now. I understand that it might be a business deal, but I do not think that it is totally fair. Yes there are many white men who want to play but do not have the chance, but there are also many black and brown men who want to play and do not have the chance. If I were black, I think I would find this really offensive. To me, this situation reminds me of when I was applying for scholarships and I did not qualify for a lot because I was not of the right race or my ethnic background did not meet the criteria. I found that offensive because even though I worked hard to do well in school, they did not even want to consider me because my ancestors did not come from a certain place. So if I were a black or brown man, I think I would be upset that this team would not want me just because of where my ancestors came from.
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It is very easy to get mixed feelings form an event such as this. On the one hand, the way the idea was out forth, it does sound sort of racist, the idea of a whites only basketball league definitely carries the notion of racism, and some of the reasons for it were a little out of line too, such as that "other" players carry guns around or attack the fans. But the likelihood of that happening is just as likely with white players as black, it's just thta the majority of people in the NBA are black so more incidences off the court involve black people. On the other hand, a good majority of white basketball players are not up to par with black basketball players due to height and the perceived notion that black players are generally better than whites at basketball. However I can understand if some white players do not want to be constantly outplayed and put aside by black players. My personal opinion is that this white only league should be allowed because the NBA has pretty much become a mockery of traditional basketball in the sense that there is no real defense in the game anymore and that the majority of the game is just a offensive showboating spectacle. But there is a solution to this issue, and that is the idea of a black only basketball league. It would be built along the same lines as the white basketball league. No one would be able to complain about it and odds are the blacks only league would be a lot more popular anyways because in general black players are more exciting to watch than white players and more people would want to see a more exciting game anyways. I'm sure either way people are going to consider this to be an attempt to discriminate against black people, but I disagree. Basketball has become a predominantly black sport and this league would give white people a chance to play on a level that is more their own. If there is anything remotely discriminatory about this whole idea, it is the thought that this white only league would only accept white people from the United States. So in this case, black people are not the only ones who are being singled out for something that they can't control. The odds are that this league will not actually become existent considering the circumstances under which it wants to be created. Another thing that will keep this league form being any bit successful is the money involved in creating and maintaining a sports league. Since not too many people in my opinion are going to spend their time watching a bunch of white guys play basketball I'm guessing that the league won't even last that long anyways.
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Okay, just try to follow me here as I describe where I’m coming from, because I feel it’ll help you validate my argument. Well I play basketball at home, on township courts. People of color and white people join here to play games of basketball together. Some games are at a higher tempo and others are a slower tempo. I feel like more than race, it’s just the type of person on how hard he/she likes to play. Some people look at basketball as a relaxing thing to just pass time, both black and white people. And since there is no niche for this, someone wants to start a league for it, racism aside (although with moose’s comments, he was indeed a racist). Now I do not think the league should be the “All-American” league or regarding anything about race. This is just putting a huge stereotype that all black people play basketball the same way. And really, I don’t know how you would regulate any rule like that, but it’s besides the issue.
I really agree that many people would not watch this though. It’s more of a thing for people to enjoy playing, but watching would become more boring, I mean we all can admit our society that wants to watch some action.
If you are going to stay that this IDEA (not person) is completely racist, you must step back and look at the big picture. There are many programs offered at Penn State that could refute every single argument you made. Let’s look at some examples to demonstrate, “Miss Black Penn State” or “National Society of Black Engineers”. Now you said the AABA would be like, and I quote, “admitting that you cannot cut it in a better league”- does that say that participating or having involvement in either of those black organizations is “admitting that you cannot cut it in a better league”. Now I don’t think that’s what it is saying at all, but I’m just saying, “admitting that you cannot cut it in a better league” is not really what white people would be saying by participating in the AABA. Also if this idea is completely racist, how is affirmative action not racist. I mean it gives huge scholarships to so many people of color, but none to white.
To conclude, I think these programs should only be considered wrong because it is stereotyping, not really racist. I also think that these other black groups around Penn State’s campus. It’s not a big deal unless people make it one like this issue- like really who cares, if you don’t like the AABA, just don’t watch it or support it and it won’t affect you.
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After reading this post and watching the video, I can't help but laugh at how dumb and racist people can still be. There is no way for this man to justify what he wants to do. Not to mention having an all white league would be extremely boring. However, I can see where he is coming from when he says there needs to be a league for traditional slow paced basketball. I do believe that the sport has definitely evolved and has become more uptempo. In the early days it was slower and more traditional and less flashy than it is today but I think today's game is much more exiting. If he wants to have a league for traditional basketball then I would be all for it because I do understand that there are now two different forms of basketball and the people playing the traditional game should be given a chance to play professionally when they can't keep up with the new game. I would create something like a B league where players could play this traditional type of game professionally, but I wouldn't make it only white. I'm sure there are good black basketball players out there that would also like to play the traditional form of the game. I think making an all white basketball league would be completely racist and pointless because it wouldn't be entertaining at all. The comments he made were also very racist. I do like this idea because it will give good basketball players the chance to play professionally and make money for their families if they can't make it in today's NBA. I don't think this league would be very marketable and profitable, but I like the idea of giving more men the chance to play professionally.
The comments he made were pretty racist. When he talked about the players are ruining the game by fighting in the stands and bringing guns to the arenas seemed targeted at the black community in the NBA. I know players in the NHL have gone into the stands and fought fans and the NHL is primarily white. So his argument about that is invalid. Also, the NFL players have many off the field conflicts and troubles, so should we create an all white football league too? People are going to make dumb mistakes in whatever sport and to hold these mistakes against the NBA players and say they are ruining the game is racist. Also just because a couple players in the NBA made mistakes, that doesn't mean the whole NBA community is prone to fight fans or bring guns to the arena. You can't hold one person's mistake against the whole NBA.
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I am not black, white, or brown; I am hispanic and latino, and to hear this guy talking about a only-whites basketball league, is really annoying. I am a huge basketball fan, actually this weekend I will watch the Heats vs. Hawks. I just want to make sure you know how much I like basketball. I totally agree with the black guy on the video, it would be a step back to allow this to happen. Actually, it is a step back that someone is proposing something like this.
It is not racism? If is smells like a dog, runs like a dog and eat like a dog, it probably is a dog. IT IS RACISM, and stupidity, because it is not even a good business idea.
Basketball is a a game played by many different people. In the NBA there are players from every continent, if there is a player from Australia, Oceania. There are players from Asia, Africa, South America, Europe and obviously, North America. Now days, the best players are black, but there are great white players too. If there is not space or no competition in the NBA, then a new league could be created but why only whites? It is a stupid idea. I would not watch that league. There is a league in Spain and it is as diverse as the NBA. It is in Europe and it is not only whites, why should it be only whites? Aside from racism, there would not be any dunks, any emotions… anything. It would be awful.
NBA cares, have you heard about this? Have you seen all the commercials? Why does the guy on the video talk about guns? They are good guys, but obviously they sometimes do things wrong. The NBA has a great prestige, and its great prestige is for many reasons, one of them being diversity.
Actually it would be really interesting and funny to see how many sponsors would this guy get, and also the amount of people supporting the creation of this new league.
This proposal is stupid, and it sounds like an idea that could be heard 100 years ago. I could say that I respect the "promoter's" points of view, and if there is people who would actually see the league, thats cool. But I still think that this idea would segregate people, and it would be a step back in, probably, the most diverse country in the world.
It would be really interesting if someone could comment on my ideas. Am I the only one thinking like this? Am I being too intolerant? I really do not understand the reason for proposing that.
It would also be interesting to see what the NBA and NBA players think about this issue. Does somebody know about this issue in more details? Tell me what do you guys think.
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I believe that the Moose had a good idea when it came to white basketball players. There was a recent segment on ESPN that actually talked about the problems and the low percentage of whites that are in the NBA. It has become something of a joke in some circles but others take the problem very seriously. I could see Moose’s point, but I did not see the necessity of his quote. It was pretty offensive since there are certainly plenty of players that do tote guns and fight in the stands. That seemed too excessive of a point for me. I play ball all the time and I do not think I am going to up with a gun pulled on me if it is a black player that is my opposition. That sort of generalization is way too unnecessary.
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I want to comment on the post of jay. I totally agree with you. What does this guy "Moose" refers to as traditional basket? What is that? There is only one type of basket. In tennis, soccer, basketball, NFL, etc. the speed of the game has increased dramatically, but thats how it should be. It would be really funny, if someone proposes a new tennis league for only white females, because no one can handle the Williams sisters. Funny right? It is the same here. Every sport naturally evolves. Things are changing because the training is harder, equipment is better and sometimes lighter, etc. I totally agree that this is an act of racism, there is nothing else to say about it.
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I definitely think that this basketball league is a step in the wrong direction. Racism has come a long way in the past 100 years. Many people work hard to improve race relations and things get better and better as time goes on. This all white league is disgraceful to all the hard work that people have done to help eliminate racism. He says that he is just trying to fill a niche which is ridiculous. SO the niche is an all white league? That’s not a niche, that’s just racism and it’s disgraceful to our country. This country has always been for equal opportunity and this goes way against that. I would feel better about the idea if it was just for United States born players, but it’s only for “white” people born in the United States.
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I totally agree with npeffer, and his/her idea about "underrepresented group". In the case of the NBA, white people are not underrepresented, so there is no reason to create a new basketball league. The NBA, as it is, its really exiting, I would say that it is the third most popular sport in America, after football and baseball. Nothing should be changed in the NBA. Diversity is a good thing. If there are players who are not as good as the ones on the NBA, then, find another sport, or get a job. Basketball, as any other sport, is a competition!!! It is obvious that some people will be better than others. And if another league needs to be created, good, but why only whites?
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A basketball league for players who want to play at a slower tempo? That’s like a league for skinny sumo wrestlers. And at first, I was OK with it. I thought it was an awful business venture. I find hard to believe there is a market niche for this, that this could achieve the entertainment value necessary for success, considering how professional basketball has developed into a game where spectators have come to expect fast and flashy action. Not to say there’s zero demand for it. I’m just not convinced people interested in watching basketball would be interested in watching a game played at a slower place – essentially, settling for something lower quality than what basketball has become known to be.
But I was OK with it. Hey, we’re in America, right? This place was founded on radical ideas and taking chances, so if someone has an idea and wants to give it a go, why not? Maybe it’s just crazy enough to work. I was even OK with a league exclusively for white people. The way I saw it was, there is a Miss Black America pageant, so if that isn’t discriminatory, how is this different? Then, as if on cue, Lewis promptly pulled out the .22, aimed at his foot, and pulled the trigger.
Now I’m not OK with it. His stereotypical comments aren’t what did it, either. It was that his faulty explanation of logic suggests racist beliefs exist in his head and that those beliefs are the groundwork for the formation of the league, counter to what he suggests.
Racism isn’t the best word, because that would suggest these players are superior players, when the reason for establishing this league (though I don’t believe this is the sole reason, but I’ll give Lewis the benefit of the doubt), at least in the eyes if Lewis, is to provide an opportunity to play basketball for those who can’t or don’t want to compete in established professional leagues. But here’s the catch: It’s not providing an opportunity for underrepresented (which white players are in professional basketball, that can’t be argued) or underprivileged players to play, because the league isn’t including all underprivileged or underrepresented players. The fact that he won’t (I would call it naïve to say a professional promoter can’t) recognize there are people other than those with white skin who might want to play “white ball.” But if you believe there aren’t racial undertones in that logic, then you must also believe all those gifts really did come from a man in a red suit who squeezed down your chimney.
The funny thing about the whole situation is that Lewis is a sports promoter, someone who works professionally in public relations. Shouldn’t he have been able to see this? That’s precisely why I think he did, and if he is aware of what he is doing, then he can be held accountable for it.
That brings up an interesting thought, though. As a public relations professional, was this just an attempt at publicity for himself? They say no publicity is bad publicity, so was this just a self-serving maneuver, using others to satisfy himself? That’s unclear. We can only argue with facts, which, according to Lewis, apparently include that black players are better at shooting.
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This is absolutely an act of racism. Its 2010, people need to realize that such an act should be considered a blasphemy and taboo. These days of segregation in such events are over. I understand that white people are under represented in leagues like the NBA. But that is not an excuse to have an "all white" league. Not only should any people of colors be upset, but also every immigrant should also be insulted by this outrageous league.
Black communities have AAU leagues all around the neighborhood, but they will never reject someone who wanted to play just because they are from somewhere outside the country or because they are a different color. These league is simply created out of fear of someone being better just because of their nationality or race. The creator, Don "Moose" Lewis is simply ignorant if he thinks that blacks have an advantage in basketball because of their color. In his interview, he stated that he wanted a simple tempo game, inferring that he wants a league that is not "too fast" for white people. He also said that he do not want players that throw the ball too high, inferring that white people cannot jump.
Whoever agrees with Don "Moose" Lewis might as well go the the KKK and the Nazi group, if they have not already. I find it funny that colored people were the only who went through oppression and slavery, and yet, a white man in today's world has the nerve to create an "all white" basketball league. A lot of people (white people to the frank) need to realize that its the 21st century. Colored people should be the people wanting to have such a league, but thankfully, we do not live based on the past, even though we certainly did not forget what happened.
There are many white players in the NBA, but they are outclassed and dominated by majority of the black players. If there are not a lot of white people who can compete in the NBA, should that tell Don Lewis something? If they are not good enough to play professionally, then they should not be playing at all. An "all white" basketball league would not solve the problem. In fact, it might actually inspire white prospect to settle for less, instead of aiming for a spot in the NBA. There are plenty of sports dominated by white people out there such as hockey and golf. However, you will never see a black guy who wants to create a league just for "black people".
It is crazy that people are still doing this. Last summer in Philadelphia, a group of black kids were turned down to join a swim team in the Northeast area of Philadelphia. I mean, it is not like the blacks kids have an advantage over the white people on the team, yet they were not allowed to join. If parents and the media did not rise up to the story, they would have gotten away with it. I feel as though, this is what needs to be done to this so called "all white" league. This should not be accepted.
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I feel like people always feel that it is racist for anyone who is white to set up any kind of function that excludes black people. However, if white people set up an event excluding other people of different races then it is considered racism. I am not racist by any means but I have noticed that there always seems to be a double standard when it comes to race situations. If a person of race sees someone who is white they can refer to them as white girl or white boy and it is considered okay. However, if I saw someone of color and referred to them as black girl or black guy people will notice and think about it as possibly racist or that it might be offensive to someone who is around.
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Never have I imagined that someone would do something such as this. Starting an all white basketball team with restrictions on it against any other race is very controversial. This man may not intentionally be trying to come off as racist, but he definitely is. I can see why he's trying to make a big deal about this and the point he's trying to make, but does it really matter. So blacks dominate the basketball industry and not whites. Ok. There are plenty of sports dominated primarily by a certain race. Hockey is a good example of this. That is one sport dominated by whites instead of black. My question is, how would this man feel if a black person (or any other race for that matter) decided to create a league in something just for their race only. If the script was flipped and the president of the NAACP thought it would be a good idea to create a hockey league for "colored only," the controversy would be just as massive. Maybe even more than massive seeing the belief that colored people receive worse treatment when it comes to racial issues. The white man can't even articulate his point in a manner that makes his actions redeemable. There may be a way he can give his side of the story and not come off as racist, but instead as a man trying to make a difference for some white students in that industry. It can be related to minority scholarships or other things like that. They target a certain group to make a difference in their lives without being seen as racist. At least if the man from the NAACP did the same act, he would probably articulate better and come off more presentable than the white man did. The key is how you present things when it comes to a controversy like this when you may unintentionally come off as a racist. I would like to see more on the community’s response to this man's actions. One statement that stuck out to me is when he said, "Fans have spoken to the AABA asking to restore on court sanity to the game of basketball." What is the community actually saying? Is this really why he feels it must be done? It seems like he listened to the opinions of others and let them influence (or expand) his own subconscious thoughts. Are they trying to say the on court sanity is that there are too many blacks getting recognized instead of whites? A good player is a good player no matter the race. It just so happens that many of the good players happen to be black or brown. They can’t help their genetics. I just hope the man learns something from this as well as the community and fans who want to change the “sanity” that has overcome basketball.
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goldenboybrodie Reply:
March 13th, 2010 at 5:04 am
Yeah I know white are not that strong in basketball talent wise but making a league just for them is not right I know he meant no harm to be racist but I agree with you it is not a good look for him at all. I just pray someone get it in his head he cannot go through with this because like I said this will start something that bigger than it really is because with him looking at it another way form the out skirt of this league looks like all trouble in different races eyes especially blacks and this is trying to go through in Atlanta lol Atlanta this guy is in for it
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While I do think Moose attributing some issues that are currently taking place in basketball such as "players on other professional teams carrying guns, attacking fans in the stands…" to the African American dominance in the NBA is ridiculous and racist, I don't think you can call him wanting to start a Caucasian basketball league racist because segregation is still popping its head up in so many ways today and if you want to denounce this basketball league as racist, you'd have to attach the same label to Black Entertainment TV, sororities and fraternities whose membership is based on race, etc. Personally, I think its all ridiculous and I don't understand how people can still get away with it today. We say that we're all the same, but we allow things to live on that show us as separate and inherently different. It's always frustrated me because if there was "White Entertainment TV" or white sororities and fraternities there would be a huge uproar about it. Attaching the label of racist has to go both ways, not just when white people come up with some stupid all white league idea. But I mean honestly, it's 2010 why does any of this stuff exist anymore anyway?
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First of let me just laugh off this story real quick. I don’t know which true basketball fan would want to see an old school all white people basketball game. I am not saying that white people are not entertaining basketball players, yes they are they shoot better than anyone else out on the court. I am not going to be a stereotype, but come on are you kidding me how far back has it been since basketball has been played in a all white people format? Probably before Moose himself was born, so does he even remember how they use to play back in the day? My guess no, if he thinks he is bringing entertainment well I guess he is a bad entertainer. Not many people will want to see JJ Redick, or Kyle Korver just shoot around all day, and play a slow style game with just jumpers. Other then Moose and a couple other southerners maybe no one else is going to watch this retarted entertainment. And to say that this is not racist at all is totally crazy. First of making the league so only white people can play, and that to they have to be of Caucasian parents, and then saying this is not racist, come on man are you kidding me. We are in a time in history where race is so far behind compared to this; we even have a black president, that right there should be an example of how far ahead we have went since racism use to exist. And for a person like Moose to come up with this idea is not helping us move further ahead, but actually it’s a big step back and is leading us to the opposite direction of our goal of equality. Moose who is an entertainer himself and is even promoting a boxing event in Nigeria, for him to go out and make something like all white basketball league is wrong and unethical. Moose who doesn’t even seem like he knows anything about basketball as it is, is actually thinking he will profits from a league like this is totally stupid, if he really thinks this he will soon understand that he is not going to make crap. No real basketball fan wants to see his league, they want to see someone like Lebron James who is a real basketball player who can actually entertain the crowd, and has great overall skill. All I have to say is come on Moose, if you actually cared about basketball then you would never make this league and understand that the NBA is fine in where it is, and every player has equal opportunity to play and show their skill.
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PART 1: I get where Don “Moose” Lewis is coming from when looking at his views from a business perspective. I think that he is correct in saying that the stands will be filled with different types of fans; statistically speaking fans with more money because white people, on average, make more money than the minority groups. My issue is with the ethics behind the situation. I think that this country has come very far in its acceptance of other cultures; however, we still have quite a long way to go. We are nowhere near complete acceptance and this is one of the reasons why.
I have to say I am slightly offended that “Moose” feels that white people would more likely want to watch other white people playing basketball. I personally would prefer to see the best players. I think that sports come down to do talent and training, not the color of the player’s skin. Clearly, more black people play professional basketball than white people, but there is a reason for it. They are typically better and when you see a white guy playing, you know he has got to be pretty decent.
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PART 2: Even though I disagree with the reasons that “Moose” wants to promote this league, I know that he is probably right with regards to the feelings of many white people in this country. I just think that that’s very sad to say that white men need a place to retreat to when it comes to basketball. It almost sounds like a form of affirmative action for white men today. This just seems like a step in the wrong direction if this country is truly working towards equality. Why would you give advantages to a group that has always been given advantages? We would essentially have to do this for every sport because a different ethnic group dominates each one and that would just be ridiculous. If we are working towards equality in this country we should just let the people who are the best be the best. There is no need for subgroups everywhere that reinforce inequality.
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PART 3: By creating this league, “Moose” is essentially saying that white people can’t play with black people. It’s not like the NBA excludes white people. Black people just happen to be more talented more often when it comes to basketball. Should we create a black hockey league or a white baseball league? It just isn’t something that will move this country forward. It will increase the evidence of peoples’ physical difference and bring a ton of attention to it. If we are trying to move away from racism then this is absolutely not that way to go about doing it. We talked about the fact that white people who have committed crimes are more likely to be hired for jobs than black people who haven’t. We should all be competing equally and taking that out of sports is the first step away from that especially with so much controversy in other areas such as business.
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I think this man, without a doubt, has racist intentions for creating this team. Only players who are natural born American citizens with Caucasian parents can play? He can attempt to cover it up by saying he wants basketball to return to its “traditional brand”, but I think most people can clearly see what he means. He doesn’t want minorities playing basketball with him. I’d like him to further explain what he means by the fundamentals of basketball because it seems like nothing more than a poorly made up excuse to cover up his racist intentions without offending. The funny thing is his sad excuse does more offending.
Even the name tinges with racist undertones. “The All-American Basketball Alliance.” It is almost as if he is saying that only Caucasians can truly be considered Americans. His constant repetition of “It’s not racist, I don’t hate people of color!” reminds me of many people who harbor racist feelings claiming “I can’t be racist, I have a black friend.”
The comment that he also makes , “With players on other professional teams carrying guns, attacking fans in the stands, and going through the motions of playing the game, fundamentally sound [W]hite players are a vanishing species.” He’s making it seem as if it is a very distinct us. Vs them mentality. There is something wrong if he’s a strong believer that separating the races will be beneficial. Last time I checked, separate but equal wasn’t the most beneficial belief system. It won’t benefit anyone and especially this team’s reputation by dividing the players by race. How would we feel if every sports team was now split up by race. A minority filled team and an only white team. It’s all very close to the 1960s where separation dominated policies and laws. As we learned, though it seems some people missed the memo, this will never work. This man can claim he is protecting the sanctity of the game, but it’s clear what he’s really saying.
He’s also relying on stereotypes of many minorities to justify why he needs these two teams. He claims that fans of these sports team will bring weapons into the arena and cause mayhem. This claim is nothing more than him relying on the stereotype that these black players bring black fans who do nothing more than tote around guns and celebrate violence. If he had just wanted to create a basketball team with just a slower style of basketball, there probably wouldn’t be any major issues. People may have questioned why anyone would want to watch such a slow boring version of basketball, but everyone prefers something different. However, the issue and controversy comes from the fact that he is discriminating against blacks, Asians, Hispanics, etc that would want to play this form of game. Therefore, his argument that he’s not really a racist is clearly wrong. He may not want to claim he is or that he has racist intentions but if the shoe fits…
It’s also amusing to look at his argument and how he fears whites are becoming the minority. Last time I checked this wasn’t true, and even if there are more minority black players in basketball, does that give minorities the right to create sports teams that only cater to their race in sports such as hockey, track and field, football, etc because hey they just want to return to the fundamentals. I hope his team fails and it most likely will. No one wants to be associated with such a controversial team and while he’s celebrating the “traditional brand of basketball” those unruly NBA minority players will be cashing in their checks.
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Being the huge sports fan that I am, I found this particular post by Professor Richards very interesting. I have watched the NBA for a very long time and started at a very young age, and personally speaking, I think that this is an absurd idea. I don’t think I could agree with Professor Richards more when it comes to this story. Yes, the majority of the superstars in the NBA are of African American decent when you talk about players such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. There are also however a lot of foreign born white stars such as Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Manu Ginobili. To contradict Don “Moose” Lewis’s point, the picture of a potentially “white” roster that Professor Richards alluded to includes two guys, David Lee and Brad Miller who have made All-Star teams in their career. I think Don “Moose” Lewis is borderline racist. Lewis even points out guys carrying guns, running into the stands after fans and going through the motions of just playing the game. He is referring to black players in the NBA in all three of his examples. Most recently, Gilbert Arenas was found with a gun in his locker, a few years back Ron Artest ran into the stands in a game after having soda thrown at him. Both men were suspended for the rest of the season by the commissioner in their cases. And when Lewis says there are many guys just going through the motions, he is referring to players of African American decent who are notoriously known for not playing hard enough during games and not being team players. All of these remarks in my mind point to racist.
Yes, some of the white players in the NBA may not be as physically gifted as the black players, but that does not mean they’re not talented or valuable contributors to NBA teams. Guys like Mike Miller and Kyle Korver are some of the most feared 3 point shooters in the NBA. I will even go as far as agreeing with Moose saying that white players are more fundamentally sound. They may be more fundamentally sound, but that is because they may have to rely more on those fundamentals than just sheer talent.
Lewis talks about this White League being simply a marketing niche, but the real niche in my opinion is the one white players and all players for that matter have to adjust to in the NBA. Regardless of race and not counting the Superstars and All-stars, there are players who are extraordinary jumpers or guys who rely on speed and quickness, some are defensive specialists, and some are shooting specialists. My point is that the players that aren’t stars in the NBA have to find their niche in the league. They have to adapt to the talent level in the NBA and find their niche on their own teams. Players of all races in all of the different sports have found success. Creating a white only league is an outrageous proposition. White players can succeed and do have talent in the NBA, all that matters is their work ethic and them realizing that they have to find their role in a highly talent driven NBA.
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The idea of an "all white basketball team" is an issue that goes far beyond a sports game. It entangles so many issues we are arguing over in our society today. While I do not agree with Moose's reasoning behind the team which is that other "professional teams carry guns and attack fans" I do not think that he is blatantly racist. Although I do not agree with the idea of putting together an "all white basketball team" the concept makes one think. I feel that in a way, just as there is a double standard for males and females, there is a double standard for race. We don't even need to look at world examples, we see it here at Penn State. First, we claim that we are a diverse campus, but when I look around I don't really see that. When there is diversity, we tend to stay with people within our same racial group. You can sit in the HUB and look around, and the majority of the time, the blacks are with the blacks, whites are with the whites, Asians with Asians and so forth. So in a way, we already divide ourselves into racial groups because unfortunately that is what society has taught us. Ok so let's look more specifically at activities set up to only include one race like Moose's basketball team. One example, is that every year in the Homecoming parade we have a Mr. and Miss Black Penn State. We talk about equality, but yet we constantly do things to distinguish ourselves from others. When people see the Mr. and Miss Black Penn State come down in that car, they cheer, but what if there was a Mr. and Miss White Penn State? People would be outraged, including myself. In addition, we have many greek life organizations, that are all black, but if we had strictly white sororities( I know there are many of these unofficially) then there would be public outcry. There are also other clubs and organizations that are strictly for people of color. My point is that although race is not about winning and losing, no one can really come out on top. If a person of color came out and said he wanted to start a basketball team only consisting of people of color, he would probably be cheered, but a white individual is considered racist. In a way, whites can't "win" because they're damned if they do, damned if they don't. So I guess after venting all this, I do think that Moose is being discriminatory, just like events or sports only asking for all black, brown, yellow, blue or red people is discriminating against every other group. I know that where we come from is extremely important, but this discrimination track works both ways, and it's unfortunate that in 2010 we all still try so hard to distinguish ourselves from one another rather than trying to get along.
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So is he saying that he's bringing "nostalgia type" of times of not having black people integrated with white people. Lewis says that this league would make people think "This was fun like I remember" as if basketball was fun in the past only because there were white people in it. This is blatantly racist. Why do they have to be WHITE and U.S. born citizens. Is he trying to represent America some how? Because if he is, an ALL white league of natural born citizens does not represent America at all. I think the purpose more over of this is to separate the people that can jump and the people that can't. The NBA has become predominantly Black. So I feel like he wants a place where more white people get a chance to play "professional" basketball. Either way, it's racist.
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Ok I’m super pumped after reading this because it’s a topic that continually comes up when I’m talking to my friends, and I can’t seem to settle on one side or the other. This topic is not solely the topic of an all white basketball league, but the overall issue of the formation of minority-only groups compared to majority-only groups.
Focusing solely on this issue of an all-white league, it sounds completely racist. But that’s mainly because Moose insinuates that people of color are causing disturbances to the game and are unstable and unsound, but not white basketball players. This is a ridiculous overgeneralization. His justifications for forming the team are not politically correct. But as a general idea, I don’t necessarily see it as a bad thing. Looking at the overall picture, when it comes to professional basketball, white males are (for once) in the minority. So you could argue that in this circumstance it’s a minority league- giving the white man a chance to play basketball.
Is it ok to have all-black societies but not all-white societies? Isn’t any ‘members-only’ club a form of discrimination? At least LGBTA groups reserve a spot for ‘allies’.
It’s a double standard. You can’t allow certain groups to be exclusive and not other groups. Isn’t it all some form of inequality? But on the other hand I sort of get it too. The African American and Puerto Rican sororities and fraternities on campus were most likely created because all other sororities and fraternities are dominated by whites. But they’re not exclusively white.
Another example of minority verses majority-only groups is in exclusive gym memberships like Curves. This is a women’s only gym, yet it is illegal to have a men’s-only gym. Why is that? As a woman I hate even attempting to lift weights at the Penn State gyms because of all the muscle-head guys glaring at me and my 7 pound free weights. And they smell. But I’m sure the guys hate seeing women take up all the cardio machines and read Cosmo at the same time. Is that sexism? Are we not allowed to separate ourselves at all? And what about all the clicks in High School? Should administration force the cheerleaders and theater kids to eat lunch together? What makes dividing by interest different that dividing by culture or race? I don’t feel that these divisions are a forced thing.
Now with the all-white basketball league specifically stating that you MUST be Caucasian seems like it’s purposefully trying to keep people out. But if it wasn’t, would anyone else actually want to join in?
If someone started an all-black basketball league would it be causing this much of an issue?
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This is crazy. It would be the same thing to start a hockey league for African Americans. I think this guy might honestly believe that African Americans have some sort of physical advantage over white players. However, as we discussed in class this is not the issue. Basketball has a low barrier to entry to play the sport, and hockey for example is extremely expensive to play during youth. Furthermore Moose complains about that white people in the leagues are accused of bringing guns to practice or drinking. I think this has more to do with the number of African Americans in the leagues themselves. I'm sure if there were actually an entire white league there would be the same amount of legal problems and bringing guns to practice, it just gets highlighted.
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“White’s Only” basketball league….really? What does a different style mean, a fundamental style? He doesn’t even explain what this really means just uses a lot of vague terms to describe it. Moose describes him well, the fact that he looks and is a goofball. If he really didn’t expect a backlash at this “All American league” he was joking himself. I like how Sam continually uses the name Moose because it just makes this topic even more of a laughing matter. If people allowed this to happen then what would happen next? This would escalate into other sports and other matters. This is taking a big step backwards. We talk so often about all the steps we have made and how much progress we still need to make, and also the things that set us back again- this is an example. No matter his intentions, racist or not, this will hurt some people with different skin colors and they will take it personally and see it as a race issue. This portrays well the issues in “Making Peace Between our Colors”, in that so many people see things differently- they see things from their own “box”. It is so difficult to see people’s perspective because we have a hard time putting ourselves in their shoes.
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“White’s Only” basketball league….really? What does a different style mean, a fundamental style? He doesn’t even explain what this really means just uses a lot of vague terms to describe it. Moose describes him well, the fact that he looks and is a goofball. If he really didn’t expect a backlash at this “All American league” he was joking himself. I like how Sam continually uses the name Moose because it just makes this topic even more of a laughing matter. If people allowed this to happen then what would happen next? This would escalate into other sports and other matters. This is taking a big step backwards. We talk so often about all the steps we have made and how much progress we still need to make, and also the things that set us back again- this is an example. No matter his intentions, racist or not, this will hurt some people with different skin colors and they will take it personally and see it as a race issue. This portrays well the issues in “Making Peace Between our Colors”, in that so many people see things differently- they see things from their own “box”. It is so difficult to see people’s perspective because we have a hard time putting ourselves in their shoes.
So Moose may see things from his own box- that this isn’t racist this is just wanting a league for white people to be able to play and to play in their own style. I can see where he is coming from in part but from my own box I don’t understand it and see the faults behind it. He needs to come to the race circle and try to see the views of others and see what is wrong with his view. In the very least he could do this on a smaller scale simply with his friends so that he as a white man can be involved- but he should still like people of other races get involved if they so wish. White men may find this idea attractive because they have difficulty entering high level basketball because their skill isn’t as great as many people of other races. This makes the issue with sports difficult because many times certain races do dominate certain sports because of their body type. But the idea overall is way too controversial and opens the door to so many other issue that other people would then try to justify as okay. This incident shows the many people who believe that race is no longer an issue that obviously it is. Can’t we just all play together in this game and the game of life and slowly let the colors fade? Hopefully with classes like this and people actually voicing their thoughts and feelings about race relations we will one day be able to do this- and hopefully that day will be soon.
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This article is amusing and humorous and shouldn’t be taken seriously, I hope. First of all this guy used to be a wrestling and boxing promoter enough said. I really don't think he knows a thing about the game of basketball and the evolution of the game. I’m going to give him the benefit of doubt and say he is strictly looking at this from a business perspective, that race is not the issue for him at all. African Americans didn't change the game of basketball for the worse, not even close, if anything they added more elements to the game and gave it more style to make it better. As a matter of fact it was us as athletes and society that became stronger bigger, and faster, this was the reason basketball has changed not solely because of African Americans. Today Athletes have better training programs better facilities and more resources than back in the day. I agree the game has become faster pace and more self promotion but this is not because of African Americans. I think that the reason there isnt more white basketball players is because as White Americans they have more options and variety of sports to play because they have more resources to do so. Basically because they have the money to do so(from the statistic in class on household incomes). Other sports can be very expensive like hockey and golf and majority of the athletes that play these sports are white. Many African Americans do not have these opportunities to explore different sports like white people. It is not expensive to play basketball all you need is a ball its that simple. Also it goes with location most inner cities thrive off basketball and majority of the people that live there are African Americans. Its not their fault they are taking advantage of what resources they are given. If you are good at something you should peruse it regardless of what it is. So basketball shouldn’t be any different. We can only do so much with what we are given, we have to make the most of it. That’s exactly what African Americans did. We cant be pointing the finger for the faults in basketball at African Americans. The reason professional basketball is down goes way beyond any racial issues. I respect the fact that African Americans have so much passion for the game of basketball and take the game very seriously. We should be inspired by this and use it. Anything you do in life regardless of what it is you should do to the best of your ability. Take pride in what you do and be proud of what given abilities you have.
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