Lebron calls Celtics fans racist

[Neurotic Guy]

This country has become obsessed with race.
You are your race first and then whoever you are as a person second.
This obsession has just made things worse.

Yes, there is a certain percentage of people who are racist - who judge someone's character based on their race and that alone, when I believe we should be judged on our behavior and the values we hold as important.  There are plenty of people within each racial group who exhibit bad behavior and whose values are atrocious. There are plenty of people on all sides who are racist as well. The double standards that go unchallenged are also part of the problem. People who do speak up face all types of negative consequences.

Speak up for what, exactly? The shut up and dribble take?

No, the "you're fired" take for uttering the words, All Lives Matter.


And Gouk, no, I would not say since the beginning. We have never been so focused on race as the country is now - not even close.
This obsession has created more divisiveness, again from all sides.

I’m pretty sure All Lives Matter takes the cake for least thoughtful response in this thread. I believe that this post is a guaranteed Bingo win, though I’m curious to see how much further people will display white fragility. All Lives Matter may be the greatest example of gaslighting that we have.

My All Lives Matter response was simply an answer to your loaded question.
I would more likely consider the Black Lives Matter stance as an example of psychological manipulation.
All I did was give a specific example of an atrocious double standard. So sorry it did not measure up to your high expectations.

No. “All Lives Matter” is pretend.  Pretend that you don’t understand that the organizers of BLM mean “Black Lives Matter, Too” and not “Only Black Lives Matter”.    You pretend so you can assert that there is a double standard.

“More focused on race now than ever”?  Well let’s put slavery and the Civil War aside, but apparently you weren’t alive during legal segregation when your race either allowed or disallowed your seat on the bus, admission to  restaurants or hotels, residence in a neighborhood, attendance to public schools and colleges, ability to swim in a pool or use public restrooms or drink from a water fountain, ability to marry who you choose (racially), or opportunity to work where you wanted.  Yes I guess race was just something we accepted back then without all the fuss and bother we have now.

[Goldstar88]

This country has become obsessed with race.
You are your race first and then whoever you are as a person second.
This obsession has just made things worse.

Yes, there is a certain percentage of people who are racist - who judge someone's character based on their race and that alone, when I believe we should be judged on our behavior and the values we hold as important.  There are plenty of people within each racial group who exhibit bad behavior and whose values are atrocious. There are plenty of people on all sides who are racist as well. The double standards that go unchallenged are also part of the problem. People who do speak up face all types of negative consequences.

Speak up for what, exactly? The shut up and dribble take?

No, the "you're fired" take for uttering the words, All Lives Matter.


And Gouk, no, I would not say since the beginning. We have never been so focused on race as the country is now - not even close.
This obsession has created more divisiveness, again from all sides.

I’m pretty sure All Lives Matter takes the cake for least thoughtful response in this thread. I believe that this post is a guaranteed Bingo win, though I’m curious to see how much further people will display white fragility. All Lives Matter may be the greatest example of gaslighting that we have.

I'm not in the States (I'm an Asian who's lived in Asia most my life, where these issues aren't as hotbutton), so hopefully what I'm saying doesn't amount to whataboutism or isn't nuanced or whatnot and I apologize in advance if it is.

But aren't you peeved that Lebron amounts "f--- you Lebron" to racism? Doesn't it cheapen the experiences of people who actually faced racism?

It's kind of like Kyrie trying to rile up people in the middle of the 2021 playoff series.

I guess black people should get the benefit of the doubt to some extent, as we'll never fully understand what they're facing or be able to walk in their shoes. But I feel like to some extent Lebron and Kyrie kind of took advantage of the situation.

“Boston is racist as hell, they had F-LBJ shirts and someone threw a a beer at me after one of the games.”

 

and of course that isn't what he said at all, which I assume was your point.

James made waves when he took aim at Boston fans — whom he called “racist as f–k” — in the latest episode of Uninterrupted’s “The Shop” on Friday. The four-time NBA Champion became part-owner of the Red Sox last year.

“There was like a ‘f–k LBJ’ T-shirt,” James said. “I believe they probably sold it at the f–kin’ team shop. … They sold it at the team shop. I’m like, ‘the Celtics had something to do with that s–t.’”

“Because they racist as f–k, that’s why,” the Lakers star said, smiling. “They will say anything. And it’s fine. I mean, f–k, it’s my life. I’ve been dealing with my whole life. I don’t mind it. Like, I hear it. Like, if I hear somebody close by, I’ll check them real quick. I’ll move on to the game. They’re going to say whatever the f–k they want to say. They might throw something on you. I mean, I got a beer thrown on me leaving the game. Like, it’s Boston.”




The only specific examples he gave were the T-shirts that said F-LBJ and the Beer thrown on him. Im not saying that there aren’t racist fans in Boston, but I do believe it’s the vast minority.

That isn't what you said was a direct quote though.  The context is a lot different.  He didn't say Boston fans were racist because they had the f*** Lebron shirts or threw a beer on him, he said they were racist because "They will say anything. And it’s fine. I mean, f–k, it’s my life. I’ve been dealing with my whole life. I don’t mind it. Like, I hear it. Like, if I hear somebody close by, I’ll check them real quick. I’ll move on to the game. They’re going to say whatever the f–k they want to say."

He then moved on to talk about getting beer thrown on him but he never actually attributed that to race.  He didn't actually provide examples, like Marcus Smart has, but he clearly was implying actual racially motivated statements being made.  It isn't like he is in court where he needs to back it up and the other people in the Shop didn't question it and moved the conversation on because they all know that racial comments are made at Boston sporting events all of the time.  It doesn't take a deep dive to dig into something that is a known fact.

Paraphrasing? So why give specific examples regarding the shirts and the beer tossing, but not any regarding his experiences with racism in Boston? It doesn’t make sense. There have been a few athletes that have mentioned incidents that they’ve had in Boston. Torri Hunter for example, mentioned specific issues while at Fenway. I also find it ironic that Lebron views Boston as, “Racist as F”, yet he still decided to invest in the Boston Redsox last year and is now part of the ownership group. I guess Whatever is convenient, right? 

Torch that gas! Burn baby burn

Cut the crap.

It’s fine. That’s his way of conceding. There is no way to deny the hypocrisy in claiming that Boston is horribly racist and then 10 months ago investing in the franchise that has the most reported incidents out of the Boston sports teams. It’s just laughable, really.

[Kernewek]

Not that I believe the Red Sox example is being offered in anything even remotely resembling good faith, but let's play with it for a second.


If LeBron thinks Boston fans are racist af, what's a better way to stick it to those racists than to take their money and get rich off of it?


I mean, you go back three generations (or 100 years, take your pick) and black folks couldn't even play in the MLB - let alone own any part of the team.

It seems like entertaining racists would be something he'd look down on, regardless of how much money he made off of them?

Where do you draw the line on that logic?  In an extreme example, if a Jew is making a lot of money from the Nazis, is that really sticking it to Hitler?

Sure, in the very simple calculus of Nazi money going to Jewish person is literally enriching the Jewish person at the expense of the Nazi.


However, we're more or less forced to these extreme examples to point out the absurdity because if I simply say "this is a bad take" I run the risk of the dreaded and deadly green text reprimand - and it's well and truly off track.

However:

Are you also saying that Lebron is making up racial comments made at the Garden?

No, because he hasn't mentioned any racial comments made at the Garden.

Are we saying that this exchange doesn't meet the South Africa test? A quick transcription, because the blogs are removing nearly all the context:

M. Carter: - In basketball, are there fans that you can play away that they can literally take the game from you?
You can feel like, "[dang], the fans is not gonna let us win this one tonight"?

LeBron: Yes. I mean--
M. Carter: What places?
LeBron: I mean, Boston.
Carter: Boston, yeah.
Paul Rivera:  Why do you hate Boston?

LeBron: 'Cause they racist as f-. That's why. They will say anyth--and it's fine. I mean, it's my life.  It's s- I've been dealing with my whole life. I don't mind it. Like, I hear it. Like, if I hear somebody, like, close by, I'll check 'em real quick. I move on to the game. They gonna say whatever the f- they want to say. I mean I got a beer thrown on me leaving the game. You know, like--

M.Carter: Boston is-

LeBron: Yeah. It's Boston.

M.Carter: Boston is the only place in the NBA in America, you go, and they have, like, shirts that say like, "F- LeBron."

And we're choosing to believe that this doesn't rise to 'mentioning any racial comments'? I find that hard to believe.

You can take issue with Maverick Carter bringing up the shirts rather than some drunk idiot shouting something from the stands (which loads of us have experienced over the years), but that still seems to be missing the forest for the trees.

Especially when you consider the context: that Boston is the only place that has FLBJ Tee Shirts is pretty clearly being brought up as an example of why Boston is being used an example of "fans that you can play away that they can literally take the game from you? You can feel like, "[dang], the fans is not gonna let us win this one tonight"?

[Goldstar88]

Not that I believe the Red Sox example is being offered in anything even remotely resembling good faith, but let's play with it for a second.


If LeBron thinks Boston fans are racist af, what's a better way to stick it to those racists than to take their money and get rich off of it?


I mean, you go back three generations (or 100 years, take your pick) and black folks couldn't even play in the MLB - let alone own any part of the team.

It seems like entertaining racists would be something he'd look down on, regardless of how much money he made off of them?

Where do you draw the line on that logic?  In an extreme example, if a Jew is making a lot of money from the Nazis, is that really sticking it to Hitler?

Yeah, his comment made no sense.

[Roy H.]

Not that I believe the Red Sox example is being offered in anything even remotely resembling good faith, but let's play with it for a second.


If LeBron thinks Boston fans are racist af, what's a better way to stick it to those racists than to take their money and get rich off of it?


I mean, you go back three generations (or 100 years, take your pick) and black folks couldn't even play in the MLB - let alone own any part of the team.

It seems like entertaining racists would be something he'd look down on, regardless of how much money he made off of them?

Where do you draw the line on that logic?  In an extreme example, if a Jew is making a lot of money from the Nazis, is that really sticking it to Hitler?

Sure, in the very simple calculus of Nazi money going to Jewish person is literally enriching the Jewish person at the expense of the Nazi.


However, we're more or less forced to these extreme examples to point out the absurdity because if I simply say "this is a bad take" I run the risk of the dreaded and deadly green text reprimand - and it's well and truly off track.

However:

Are you also saying that Lebron is making up racial comments made at the Garden?

No, because he hasn't mentioned any racial comments made at the Garden.

Are we saying that this exchange doesn't meet the South Africa test? A quick transcription, because the blogs are removing nearly all the context:

M. Carter: - In basketball, are there fans that you can play away that they can literally take the game from you?
You can feel like, "[dang], the fans is not gonna let us win this one tonight"?

LeBron: Yes. I mean--
M. Carter: What places?
LeBron: I mean, Boston.
Carter: Boston, yeah.
Paul Rivera:  Why do you hate Boston?

LeBron: 'Cause they racist as f-. That's why. They will say anyth--and it's fine. I mean, it's my life.  It's s- I've been dealing with my whole life. I don't mind it. Like, I hear it. Like, if I hear somebody, like, close by, I'll check 'em real quick. I move on to the game. They gonna say whatever the f- they want to say. I mean I got a beer thrown on me leaving the game. You know, like--

M.Carter: Boston is-

LeBron: Yeah. It's Boston.

M.Carter: Boston is the only place in the NBA in America, you go, and they have, like, shirts that say like, "F- LeBron."

And we're choosing to believe that this doesn't rise to 'mentioning any racial comments'? I find that hard to believe.

You can take issue with Maverick Carter bringing up the shirts rather than some drunk idiot shouting something from the stands (which loads of us have experienced over the years), but that still seems to be missing the forest for the trees.

Especially when you consider the context: that Boston is the only place that has FLBJ Tee Shirts is pretty clearly being brought up as an example of why Boston is being used an example of "fans that you can play away that they can literally take the game from you? You can feel like, "[dang], the fans is not gonna let us win this one tonight"?

Perhaps I'm obtuse, but what racial / racist comments is he citing?  The context he gave are profanity and beer pouring.  Both are bad, ranging from being vulgar to being assaultive.  Both should be condemned.

But, how can I say Lebron has heard racial comments at the Garden, when he has never once mentioned a racial comment he's heard?  In 2017, he said there hadn't been any.  Here, he doesn't reference any comments, other than that fans will "say anything".  What's the anything?  The answer he gives is F--- LBJ.

[Kernewek]

Not that I believe the Red Sox example is being offered in anything even remotely resembling good faith, but let's play with it for a second.


If LeBron thinks Boston fans are racist af, what's a better way to stick it to those racists than to take their money and get rich off of it?


I mean, you go back three generations (or 100 years, take your pick) and black folks couldn't even play in the MLB - let alone own any part of the team.

It seems like entertaining racists would be something he'd look down on, regardless of how much money he made off of them?

Where do you draw the line on that logic?  In an extreme example, if a Jew is making a lot of money from the Nazis, is that really sticking it to Hitler?

Seriously. The comment made zero sense. Let me throw money at the racist owners and get rich with them. That will show them! Lol.

Speaking of things that make zero sense, no one is saying the owners of the Red Sox are racist except you.

I'll put it as plainly as I can: buying into the Red Sox ownership and saying Celtics fans can take you out of the game by being racist is not hypocritical.


The fact that you're struggling with this means that, for whatever reason, you don't understand what hypocrisy means or you don't understand how context works. I just want you to know that, whatever the reason may be, I'm here for you, and I support you in your journey.

[BruceBanner18]

Just because people say racist things doesn't mean they are racist. Like in this case, the reason "it didn't really bother" LeBron is because it's not actually racism. It's ppl saying inflammatory things to get under players skin and "take the game from them"...the implication was saying racial things, f you chants, throwing beer.

Q: what team will literally take the game from you...fans that won't let you win.

LeBron. Boston bc they racist af. They will say anything which is fine I don't mind it I've been dealing with it my whole life.

The IT he's been dealing with is fans yelling things to take him out of his game NOT racism in Boston. Boston fans are just the best at i taking players out of their game because they have no filter and are not afraid to be crude and disrespectful and cross lines. Basically living up to the mEdited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline. label

[Kernewek]

edit: Bruce I think summed it up pretty well in the post above me. I guess the question is: if you say racist stuff maliciously, does it meaningfully matter if you're 'not a racist'?

Not that I believe the Red Sox example is being offered in anything even remotely resembling good faith, but let's play with it for a second.


If LeBron thinks Boston fans are racist af, what's a better way to stick it to those racists than to take their money and get rich off of it?


I mean, you go back three generations (or 100 years, take your pick) and black folks couldn't even play in the MLB - let alone own any part of the team.

It seems like entertaining racists would be something he'd look down on, regardless of how much money he made off of them?

Where do you draw the line on that logic?  In an extreme example, if a Jew is making a lot of money from the Nazis, is that really sticking it to Hitler?

Sure, in the very simple calculus of Nazi money going to Jewish person is literally enriching the Jewish person at the expense of the Nazi.


However, we're more or less forced to these extreme examples to point out the absurdity because if I simply say "this is a bad take" I run the risk of the dreaded and deadly green text reprimand - and it's well and truly off track.

However:

Are you also saying that Lebron is making up racial comments made at the Garden?

No, because he hasn't mentioned any racial comments made at the Garden.

Are we saying that this exchange doesn't meet the South Africa test? A quick transcription, because the blogs are removing nearly all the context:

M. Carter: - In basketball, are there fans that you can play away that they can literally take the game from you?
You can feel like, "[dang], the fans is not gonna let us win this one tonight"?

LeBron: Yes. I mean--
M. Carter: What places?
LeBron: I mean, Boston.
Carter: Boston, yeah.
Paul Rivera:  Why do you hate Boston?

LeBron: 'Cause they racist as f-. That's why. They will say anyth--and it's fine. I mean, it's my life.  It's s- I've been dealing with my whole life. I don't mind it. Like, I hear it. Like, if I hear somebody, like, close by, I'll check 'em real quick. I move on to the game. They gonna say whatever the f- they want to say. I mean I got a beer thrown on me leaving the game. You know, like--

M.Carter: Boston is-

LeBron: Yeah. It's Boston.

M.Carter: Boston is the only place in the NBA in America, you go, and they have, like, shirts that say like, "F- LeBron."

And we're choosing to believe that this doesn't rise to 'mentioning any racial comments'? I find that hard to believe.

You can take issue with Maverick Carter bringing up the shirts rather than some drunk idiot shouting something from the stands (which loads of us have experienced over the years), but that still seems to be missing the forest for the trees.

Especially when you consider the context: that Boston is the only place that has FLBJ Tee Shirts is pretty clearly being brought up as an example of why Boston is being used an example of "fans that you can play away that they can literally take the game from you? You can feel like, "[dang], the fans is not gonna let us win this one tonight"?

Perhaps I'm obtuse, but what racial / racist comments is he citing?  The context he gave are profanity and beer pouring.  Both are bad, ranging from being vulgar to being assaultive.  Both should be condemned.

But, how can I say Lebron has heard racial comments at the Garden, when he has never once mentioned a racial comment he's heard?  In 2017, he said there hadn't been any.  Here, he doesn't reference any comments, other than that fans will "say anything".  What's the anything?  The answer he gives is F--- LBJ.

So, when it comes to linguistics and the construction of this paragraph, the context doesn't make sense without the first sentence, no? I've added in some brackets - and maybe we are getting into the 'interpretation' and 'what's literally said' disagreement and that's where we have to leave it - but I've added some brackets, right? Because even if there's punctuation, there's a statement in the first sentence, and explanation of that statement which necessarily refers back to the first sentence.

LeBron: 'Cause they racist as f-. That's why. They will say anyth--and it's fine. I mean, it's my life.  It's s- I've been dealing with [racist heckling] my whole life. I don't mind it. Like, I hear it [the racist heckling]. Like, if I hear somebody [say something racist], like, close by, I'll check 'em real quick. I move on to the game. They gonna say whatever the f- they want to say.

So sure, did he say "someone near the entrance called me Monkey Boy on January 25 2018"? No. Does he need to? I guess that's where we differ.

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

Are you also saying that Lebron is making up racial comments made at the Garden?

No, because he hasn't mentioned any racial comments made at the Garden.

He did. Watch the Shop clip that has been transcribed in this thread.

[Moranis]

This country has become obsessed with race.
You are your race first and then whoever you are as a person second.
This obsession has just made things worse.

Yes, there is a certain percentage of people who are racist - who judge someone's character based on their race and that alone, when I believe we should be judged on our behavior and the values we hold as important.  There are plenty of people within each racial group who exhibit bad behavior and whose values are atrocious. There are plenty of people on all sides who are racist as well. The double standards that go unchallenged are also part of the problem. People who do speak up face all types of negative consequences.

Speak up for what, exactly? The shut up and dribble take?

No, the "you're fired" take for uttering the words, All Lives Matter.


And Gouk, no, I would not say since the beginning. We have never been so focused on race as the country is now - not even close.
This obsession has created more divisiveness, again from all sides.

I’m pretty sure All Lives Matter takes the cake for least thoughtful response in this thread. I believe that this post is a guaranteed Bingo win, though I’m curious to see how much further people will display white fragility. All Lives Matter may be the greatest example of gaslighting that we have.

I'm not in the States (I'm an Asian who's lived in Asia most my life, where these issues aren't as hotbutton), so hopefully what I'm saying doesn't amount to whataboutism or isn't nuanced or whatnot and I apologize in advance if it is.

But aren't you peeved that Lebron amounts "f--- you Lebron" to racism? Doesn't it cheapen the experiences of people who actually faced racism?

It's kind of like Kyrie trying to rile up people in the middle of the 2021 playoff series.

I guess black people should get the benefit of the doubt to some extent, as we'll never fully understand what they're facing or be able to walk in their shoes. But I feel like to some extent Lebron and Kyrie kind of took advantage of the situation.

“Boston is racist as hell, they had F-LBJ shirts and someone threw a a beer at me after one of the games.”

 

and of course that isn't what he said at all, which I assume was your point.

James made waves when he took aim at Boston fans — whom he called “racist as f–k” — in the latest episode of Uninterrupted’s “The Shop” on Friday. The four-time NBA Champion became part-owner of the Red Sox last year.

“There was like a ‘f–k LBJ’ T-shirt,” James said. “I believe they probably sold it at the f–kin’ team shop. … They sold it at the team shop. I’m like, ‘the Celtics had something to do with that s–t.’”

“Because they racist as f–k, that’s why,” the Lakers star said, smiling. “They will say anything. And it’s fine. I mean, f–k, it’s my life. I’ve been dealing with my whole life. I don’t mind it. Like, I hear it. Like, if I hear somebody close by, I’ll check them real quick. I’ll move on to the game. They’re going to say whatever the f–k they want to say. They might throw something on you. I mean, I got a beer thrown on me leaving the game. Like, it’s Boston.”




The only specific examples he gave were the T-shirts that said F-LBJ and the Beer thrown on him. Im not saying that there aren’t racist fans in Boston, but I do believe it’s the vast minority.

That isn't what you said was a direct quote though.  The context is a lot different.  He didn't say Boston fans were racist because they had the f*** Lebron shirts or threw a beer on him, he said they were racist because "They will say anything. And it’s fine. I mean, f–k, it’s my life. I’ve been dealing with my whole life. I don’t mind it. Like, I hear it. Like, if I hear somebody close by, I’ll check them real quick. I’ll move on to the game. They’re going to say whatever the f–k they want to say."

He then moved on to talk about getting beer thrown on him but he never actually attributed that to race.  He didn't actually provide examples, like Marcus Smart has, but he clearly was implying actual racially motivated statements being made.  It isn't like he is in court where he needs to back it up and the other people in the Shop didn't question it and moved the conversation on because they all know that racial comments are made at Boston sporting events all of the time.  It doesn't take a deep dive to dig into something that is a known fact.

Paraphrasing? So why give specific examples regarding the shirts and the beer tossing, but not any regarding his experiences with racism in Boston? It doesn’t make sense. There have been a few athletes that have mentioned incidents that they’ve had in Boston. Torri Hunter for example, mentioned specific issues while at Fenway. I also find it ironic that Lebron views Boston as, “Racist as F”, yet he still decided to invest in the Boston Redsox last year and is now part of the ownership group. I guess Whatever is convenient, right? 

Because it is known by all athletes that Boston has racist fans.  Marcus Smart has confirmed this.  Baseball players say the only place they hear the N-word is Boston.  Specific instances aren't needed in the context of the whole episode because it happens a lot and is common knowledge.
 He wasn't on trial.  Perhaps if Boston didn't have vocal racist fans, then these type of things wouldn't be well known.

[RJ87]

Just because people say racist things doesn't mean they are racist.

It does. I've been to games, I yelled things. I've booed. It's never once in my life crossed my mind to say something racially motivated. I think that's true of a lot of people.

If you're willing to scream racist things to get under a players skin during a game, you're in need of being honest with yourself.

[Roy H.]

edit: Bruce I think summed it up pretty well in the post above me. I guess the question is: if you say racist stuff maliciously, does it meaningfully matter if you're 'not a racist'?

Not that I believe the Red Sox example is being offered in anything even remotely resembling good faith, but let's play with it for a second.


If LeBron thinks Boston fans are racist af, what's a better way to stick it to those racists than to take their money and get rich off of it?


I mean, you go back three generations (or 100 years, take your pick) and black folks couldn't even play in the MLB - let alone own any part of the team.

It seems like entertaining racists would be something he'd look down on, regardless of how much money he made off of them?

Where do you draw the line on that logic?  In an extreme example, if a Jew is making a lot of money from the Nazis, is that really sticking it to Hitler?

Sure, in the very simple calculus of Nazi money going to Jewish person is literally enriching the Jewish person at the expense of the Nazi.


However, we're more or less forced to these extreme examples to point out the absurdity because if I simply say "this is a bad take" I run the risk of the dreaded and deadly green text reprimand - and it's well and truly off track.

However:

Are you also saying that Lebron is making up racial comments made at the Garden?

No, because he hasn't mentioned any racial comments made at the Garden.

Are we saying that this exchange doesn't meet the South Africa test? A quick transcription, because the blogs are removing nearly all the context:

M. Carter: - In basketball, are there fans that you can play away that they can literally take the game from you?
You can feel like, "[dang], the fans is not gonna let us win this one tonight"?

LeBron: Yes. I mean--
M. Carter: What places?
LeBron: I mean, Boston.
Carter: Boston, yeah.
Paul Rivera:  Why do you hate Boston?

LeBron: 'Cause they racist as f-. That's why. They will say anyth--and it's fine. I mean, it's my life.  It's s- I've been dealing with my whole life. I don't mind it. Like, I hear it. Like, if I hear somebody, like, close by, I'll check 'em real quick. I move on to the game. They gonna say whatever the f- they want to say. I mean I got a beer thrown on me leaving the game. You know, like--

M.Carter: Boston is-

LeBron: Yeah. It's Boston.

M.Carter: Boston is the only place in the NBA in America, you go, and they have, like, shirts that say like, "F- LeBron."

And we're choosing to believe that this doesn't rise to 'mentioning any racial comments'? I find that hard to believe.

You can take issue with Maverick Carter bringing up the shirts rather than some drunk idiot shouting something from the stands (which loads of us have experienced over the years), but that still seems to be missing the forest for the trees.

Especially when you consider the context: that Boston is the only place that has FLBJ Tee Shirts is pretty clearly being brought up as an example of why Boston is being used an example of "fans that you can play away that they can literally take the game from you? You can feel like, "[dang], the fans is not gonna let us win this one tonight"?

Perhaps I'm obtuse, but what racial / racist comments is he citing?  The context he gave are profanity and beer pouring.  Both are bad, ranging from being vulgar to being assaultive.  Both should be condemned.

But, how can I say Lebron has heard racial comments at the Garden, when he has never once mentioned a racial comment he's heard?  In 2017, he said there hadn't been any.  Here, he doesn't reference any comments, other than that fans will "say anything".  What's the anything?  The answer he gives is F--- LBJ.

So, when it comes to linguistics and the construction of this paragraph, the context doesn't make sense without the first sentence, no? I've added in some brackets - and maybe we are getting into the 'interpretation' and 'what's literally said' disagreement and that's where we have to leave it - but I've added some brackets, right? Because even if there's punctuation, there's a statement in the first sentence, and explanation of that statement which necessarily refers back to the first sentence.

LeBron: 'Cause they racist as f-. That's why. They will say anyth--and it's fine. I mean, it's my life.  It's s- I've been dealing with [racist heckling] my whole life. I don't mind it. Like, I hear it [the racist heckling]. Like, if I hear somebody [say something racist], like, close by, I'll check 'em real quick. I move on to the game. They gonna say whatever the f- they want to say.

So sure, did he say "someone near the entrance called me Monkey Boy on January 25 2018"? No. Does he need to? I guess that's where we differ.

I don't think that the brackets you've inserted necessarily flow from his words.  Maybe, maybe not.  The two examples he gave aren't necessarily racist.

[Goldstar88]

Not that I believe the Red Sox example is being offered in anything even remotely resembling good faith, but let's play with it for a second.


If LeBron thinks Boston fans are racist af, what's a better way to stick it to those racists than to take their money and get rich off of it?


I mean, you go back three generations (or 100 years, take your pick) and black folks couldn't even play in the MLB - let alone own any part of the team.

It seems like entertaining racists would be something he'd look down on, regardless of how much money he made off of them?

Where do you draw the line on that logic?  In an extreme example, if a Jew is making a lot of money from the Nazis, is that really sticking it to Hitler?

Seriously. The comment made zero sense. Let me throw money at the racist owners and get rich with them. That will show them! Lol.

Speaking of things that make zero sense, no one is saying the owners of the Red Sox are racist except you.

I'll put it as plainly as I can: buying into the Red Sox ownership and saying Celtics fans can take you out of the game by being racist is not hypocritical.


The fact that you're struggling with this means that, for whatever reason, you don't understand what hypocrisy means or you don't understand how context works. I just want you to know that, whatever the reason may be, I'm here for you, and I support you in your journey.

Everyone is racist in Boston. Fans, Owners, parking attendants. Noticed how you didn’t want to answer Roy’s question regarding your logic. Guess that’s because there isn’t any.

[Kernewek]

edit: Bruce I think summed it up pretty well in the post above me. I guess the question is: if you say racist stuff maliciously, does it meaningfully matter if you're 'not a racist'?

Not that I believe the Red Sox example is being offered in anything even remotely resembling good faith, but let's play with it for a second.


If LeBron thinks Boston fans are racist af, what's a better way to stick it to those racists than to take their money and get rich off of it?


I mean, you go back three generations (or 100 years, take your pick) and black folks couldn't even play in the MLB - let alone own any part of the team.

It seems like entertaining racists would be something he'd look down on, regardless of how much money he made off of them?

Where do you draw the line on that logic?  In an extreme example, if a Jew is making a lot of money from the Nazis, is that really sticking it to Hitler?

Sure, in the very simple calculus of Nazi money going to Jewish person is literally enriching the Jewish person at the expense of the Nazi.


However, we're more or less forced to these extreme examples to point out the absurdity because if I simply say "this is a bad take" I run the risk of the dreaded and deadly green text reprimand - and it's well and truly off track.

However:

Are you also saying that Lebron is making up racial comments made at the Garden?

No, because he hasn't mentioned any racial comments made at the Garden.

Are we saying that this exchange doesn't meet the South Africa test? A quick transcription, because the blogs are removing nearly all the context:

M. Carter: - In basketball, are there fans that you can play away that they can literally take the game from you?
You can feel like, "[dang], the fans is not gonna let us win this one tonight"?

LeBron: Yes. I mean--
M. Carter: What places?
LeBron: I mean, Boston.
Carter: Boston, yeah.
Paul Rivera:  Why do you hate Boston?

LeBron: 'Cause they racist as f-. That's why. They will say anyth--and it's fine. I mean, it's my life.  It's s- I've been dealing with my whole life. I don't mind it. Like, I hear it. Like, if I hear somebody, like, close by, I'll check 'em real quick. I move on to the game. They gonna say whatever the f- they want to say. I mean I got a beer thrown on me leaving the game. You know, like--

M.Carter: Boston is-

LeBron: Yeah. It's Boston.

M.Carter: Boston is the only place in the NBA in America, you go, and they have, like, shirts that say like, "F- LeBron."

And we're choosing to believe that this doesn't rise to 'mentioning any racial comments'? I find that hard to believe.

You can take issue with Maverick Carter bringing up the shirts rather than some drunk idiot shouting something from the stands (which loads of us have experienced over the years), but that still seems to be missing the forest for the trees.

Especially when you consider the context: that Boston is the only place that has FLBJ Tee Shirts is pretty clearly being brought up as an example of why Boston is being used an example of "fans that you can play away that they can literally take the game from you? You can feel like, "[dang], the fans is not gonna let us win this one tonight"?

Perhaps I'm obtuse, but what racial / racist comments is he citing?  The context he gave are profanity and beer pouring.  Both are bad, ranging from being vulgar to being assaultive.  Both should be condemned.

But, how can I say Lebron has heard racial comments at the Garden, when he has never once mentioned a racial comment he's heard?  In 2017, he said there hadn't been any.  Here, he doesn't reference any comments, other than that fans will "say anything".  What's the anything?  The answer he gives is F--- LBJ.

So, when it comes to linguistics and the construction of this paragraph, the context doesn't make sense without the first sentence, no? I've added in some brackets - and maybe we are getting into the 'interpretation' and 'what's literally said' disagreement and that's where we have to leave it - but I've added some brackets, right? Because even if there's punctuation, there's a statement in the first sentence, and explanation of that statement which necessarily refers back to the first sentence.

LeBron: 'Cause they racist as f-. That's why. They will say anyth--and it's fine. I mean, it's my life.  It's s- I've been dealing with [racist heckling] my whole life. I don't mind it. Like, I hear it [the racist heckling]. Like, if I hear somebody [say something racist], like, close by, I'll check 'em real quick. I move on to the game. They gonna say whatever the f- they want to say.

So sure, did he say "someone near the entrance called me Monkey Boy on January 25 2018"? No. Does he need to? I guess that's where we differ.

I don't think that the brackets you've inserted necessarily flow from his words.  Maybe, maybe not.  The two examples he gave aren't necessarily racist.

There's a remote possibility that 'they will say anything' and everything after is referring to fans doing dramatic readings of lesser Shakespearean dramas in a variety of funny voices during timeouts and huddles. But I don't think it's that likely.

[Erik]

This is just a mathematical problem.

If one out of every X people are the type of people who would fling slurs at you in an average city and in Boston it’s 3 out of X, that’s likely a noticeable difference.

It doesn’t make all Bostonians racist, but it definitely is a data point that is noticeable and memorable.