KD with yet another social media blunder

[gouki88]

Here's tonight's apology:

KD on the Rapoport flap: “I sorry that people saw that language I used.” #Nets
– via Twitter NYPost_Lewis

I love apologies like this.  At least they're sincere.  "I'm sorry I got caught doing that thing that you think is bad, but that I'm 100% comfortable with.  I'm going to keep doing it, but I'll try harder not to get caught next time."

Insane, how stupid do you have to be to not realise what you're saying?

[tenn_smoothie]

Durant's "pale" reference, by today's standards, is a racist insult.
Of course, since black Americans are immune to criticism for any such remarks, this fact will never be publicly acknowledged.

[tarheelsxxiii]

Durant's "pale" reference, by today's standards, is a racist insult.
Of course, since black Americans are immune to criticism for any such remarks, this fact will never be publicly acknowledged.

Unfortunately, you're spot on, per usual.

Rapaport seems to be acting a fool, in general.  I don't know the details, but his defamation lawsuit against Dave Portnoy was just quickly tossed, too.

[tenn_smoothie]

Thank You tarheels.

You will likely be the last person on this board to agree with my comment.
This board does not always look kindly on such remarks.

[ozgod]

Unlike the Meyers Leonard thing which occurred on a stream with hundreds of people listening, KD vs Rapaport seems to be a private conversation and both of them were getting stuck into each other and one of the parties chose to make it public. No different to if they had called each other and abused each other verbally. Not sure if the NBA is now penalizing people for private convos or if they should. Though I guess with text-based online communication conversations that were intended to be private can easily become public if one of the participants so chooses and KD should have realized that.

That said, it's certainly not a good look for KD in the sphere of public influence. It's an insight into his character. Probably not something his sponsors want to see, that their guy is a racist, misogynist, homophobic pig and that's probably where the real punishment, if any, will be mandated. I'm not sure if KD is too big to be cancelled, but there will probably be some moves on that front.

[greg683x]

Unlike the Meyers Leonard thing which occurred on a stream with hundreds of people listening, KD vs Rapaport seems to be a private conversation and both of them were getting stuck into each other and one of the parties chose to make it public. No different to if they had called each other and abused each other verbally. Not sure if the NBA is now penalizing people for private convos or if they should. Though I guess with text-based online communication conversations that were intended to be private can easily become public if one of the participants so chooses and KD should have realized that.

That said, it's certainly not a good look for KD in the sphere of public influence. It's an insight into his character. Probably not something his sponsors want to see, that their guy is a racist, misogynist, homophobic pig and that's probably where the real punishment, if any, will be mandated. I'm not sure if KD is too big to be cancelled, but there will probably be some moves on that front.

Punishing people for private conversations would not be a new thing for the NBA, Donald Sterling says Hello, though I think we all can agree the league is a better place without Sterling and his comments were much worse for many different reasons

[Celtics4ever]

This board does not always look kindly on such remarks.

Truth can be uncomfortable.   Personally, I think the pale stuff is not much of an insult but it was definitely derogatory in intent by Durant.

Durant has the maturity of a 13 year old.  I mean burner accounts to argue with a fans.  This really does not change my opinion of him or Rapaport, I didn't like them before or now.   Be careful what you tweet, write.

[Erik]

It’s not an insult until you start thinking about it and how he and other people use terms like white boy with the intent of having contempt towards white humans. It’s not fully his fault. This is what we’ve created (and not recently either) as it was never officially condemned in the 80s+. We accepted these minor slurs towards white people as a “reparations” of some sort (for lack of better words). Now that social justice has taken off to be an actual career, entered the workplace, being taught in schools, these comments that were normally shrugged off should also be looked at in more scrutiny if this paradigm is to be taken seriously.

[Big333223]

I'm guessing Durant isn't going to see any punishment. If you're going to be awful to someone, just be awful to someone who's even more awful. It seems like everyone is sick of Rappaport now so no one cares what KD said to him.

As for what was said: words have no inherent meaning or significance, only the meaning and significance we give them. In our culture, white people and people of color are treated differently and so the idea of whiteness is going to have different significance and a different meaning than talking about skin color of a group that was marginalized based on the color of their skin.

Context, including historical context, does matter.

[Roy H.]

I'm guessing Durant isn't going to see any punishment. If you're going to be awful to someone, just be awful to someone who's even more awful. It seems like everyone is sick of Rappaport now so no one cares what KD said to him.

As for what was said: words have no inherent meaning or significance, only the meaning and significance we give them. In our culture, white people and people of color are treated differently and so the idea of whiteness is going to have different significance and a different meaning than talking about skin color of a group that was marginalized based on the color of their skin.

Context, including historical context, does matter.

The insults about being pale aren’t really the point.

Rather, it’s that Durant, when reaching into his  Neanderthal brain, came out with the worst insult he could think of: being gay and engaging in homosexual activities. 

[jambr380]

I'm guessing Durant isn't going to see any punishment. If you're going to be awful to someone, just be awful to someone who's even more awful. It seems like everyone is sick of Rappaport now so no one cares what KD said to him.

As for what was said: words have no inherent meaning or significance, only the meaning and significance we give them. In our culture, white people and people of color are treated differently and so the idea of whiteness is going to have different significance and a different meaning than talking about skin color of a group that was marginalized based on the color of their skin.

Context, including historical context, does matter.

The insults about being pale aren’t really the point.

Rather, it’s that Durant, when reaching into his  Neanderthal brain, came out with the worst insult he could think of: being gay and engaging in homosexual activities.

I appreciate you noting the difference. As someone who is gay and played a lot of sports growing up, I can tell you these types of insults are pretty commonplace amongst peers. As I mentioned earlier, I believe what Durant said leans more ignorant than outright homophobic (trust me, slurs directed at you specifically because you are gay are more alarming than people using words they were taught as insults), but it doesn't make it okay. Constantly having your 'masculinity' questioned with these types of words/phrases can be taxing and takes a toll on you growing up. I went through a little bit of a tough guy phase in my late teens/early 20s (nothing all-out) because I thought I had a little extra to prove.

I will say again that I don't think the 'pasty white' comments are okay, but they don't have the same impact as the others. I wish the dude would just legit apologize and move on. Really disappointed to see his response.

[Chief]

Myers Leonard was fined $50,000, traded, and then released by his new team. My guess is he will be considered toxic, for awhile, and may not ever catch on with another team.

KD will get the $50,000 fine and all will be forgiven.

It's just the way things are.

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

Does anyone think that Rappaport is being hypocritical by calling KD sensitive? He called him out publicly, and KD went at him privately, then Rappaport posts private messages?

Seems like a bush league move by Rappaport.

No excusing KD's words. Let's not pretend that Rappaport's messages were woke...

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

Myers Leonard was fined $50,000, traded, and then released by his new team. My guess is he will be considered toxic, for awhile, and may not ever catch on with another team.

KD will get the $50,000 fine and all will be forgiven.

It's just the way things are.

Nothing new here. Ray Rice would have played again if teams thought he had value. Adrian Peterson was back in the league after kicking the crap out of his son. Let's not lose perspective here.

If Leonard had value, he would get a slap on the wrist, much like what BKN/NBA will do with KD.

[Donoghus]

Does anyone think that Rappaport is being hypocritical by calling KD sensitive? He called him out publicly, and KD went at him privately, then Rappaport posts private messages?

Seems like a bush league move by Rappaport.

No excusing KD's words. Let's not pretend that Rappaport's messages were woke...

I said it earlier but they're both scumbags.   Rapaport is extremely sensitive.  See Barstool.   Guy talks tough until someone throws it back to him and then he gets all upset. 

Doesn't excuse KD one bit.  He should definitely be punished for what he said.   His apology is a pathetic joke too.