Lebron calls Celtics fans racist

[Neurotic Guy]

Curious, Have any of the Celtics players stated that they have been subjected to racism themselves by the fans in Boston. Wouldn’t they also be targets as 95% of the team is non-white. Are the fans only racist towards the opposing teams players? Also, have any other NBA players other than Kyrie and Lebron recently stated that they’ve had bad experiences at the TD Garden?

Marcus has.

I thought he mentioned that he heard some things, but didn’t state that it was directed at him. Again, I’m not saying that it’s acceptable behavior or claiming that racism doesn’t ever occur at the Garden, but why aren’t the Celtics players coming out and saying that the fans are acting this way towards them. Are the Boston fans only racist towards the opposing teams? Also, why aren’t there players (not named Lebron or Kyrie) from other teams stating that they’ve had similar bad experiences at the Garden.

I guess you'd have to consider this from their perspective -- which is something not easily done.  As a hypothetical, let's say JT has heard the N-word at the Garden.  It's possible that as he considers coming out publicly the cost of doing so outweighs the benefit. 

[Roy H.]

Curious, Have any of the Celtics players stated that they have been subjected to racism themselves by the fans in Boston. Wouldn’t they also be targets as 95% of the team is non-white. Are the fans only racist towards the opposing teams players? Also, have any other NBA players other than Kyrie and Lebron recently stated that they’ve had bad experiences at the TD Garden?

Marcus has.

I thought he mentioned that he heard some things, but didn’t state that it was directed at him. Again, I’m not saying that it’s acceptable behavior or claiming that racism doesn’t ever occur at the Garden, but why aren’t the Celtics players coming out and saying that the fans are acting this way towards them. Are the Boston fans only racist towards the opposing teams? Also, why aren’t there players (not named Lebron or Kyrie) from other teams stating that they’ve had similar bad experiences at the Garden.

I guess you'd have to consider this from their perspective -- which is something not easily done.  As a hypothetical, let's say JT has heard the N-word at the Garden.  It's possible that as he considers coming out publicly and saying so the cost of doing so outweighs the benefit.

In Smart’s case, he was in a car and shouted to a white woman who was crossing traffic dangerously with her young son.  The white woman shouted back at him, using the F- and N-words.  She was wearing Celtics gear at the time.

Regarding your hypothetical, it’s a fair consideration.  Some players are going to try to avoid the media distraction, even if and when they do hear inappropriate things.

[gouki88]

It wouldn’t be the first time Smart either lied or misheard though…


https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/smarts-unanswered-question-does-him-a-disservice

The lengths you routinely go to in order to defend deplorable behaviour astonishes me

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

Yet ask him a question like “why does Smart deserve to be abused” and you get crickets.

[JSD]

It wouldn’t be the first time Smart either lied or misheard though…


https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/smarts-unanswered-question-does-him-a-disservice

Why would a middle aged white man call a young black man a piece of crap? Who thinks this is appropriate?

Why would anyone defend this man’s perceived right to abuse another person, regardless of race?

A fan yelling and taunting an opponent, regardless of age and race - which you needlessly insert here-  sort of just comes with the territory of high stake sport, whether it’s wrong or right is a fine debate to have, but that’s a whole other topic from what we are discussing here. This is now the second time today you’ve tried to put words into my mouth and derail a topic by insinuating I’m saying things I never said. Try to focus.

What I’m pointing out is that Smart had a controversy around racially charged fan utterances in the past, and it’s at least worth noting.

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

Not needlessly. A middle aged white man abusing a younger black man shows a power imbalance that is consistent with many of the racist acts in this country’s history. It would be different if it was a black man doing so.

[JSD]

It wouldn’t be the first time Smart either lied or misheard though…


https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/smarts-unanswered-question-does-him-a-disservice

The lengths you routinely go to in order to defend deplorable behaviour astonishes me

Seeing that you believe physical violence is an adequate response to words that you don’t like is probably the least shocking thing I’ve read all day.

[Goldstar88]

Curious, Have any of the Celtics players stated that they have been subjected to racism themselves by the fans in Boston. Wouldn’t they also be targets as 95% of the team is non-white. Are the fans only racist towards the opposing teams players? Also, have any other NBA players other than Kyrie and Lebron recently stated that they’ve had bad experiences at the TD Garden?

Marcus has.

I thought he mentioned that he heard some things, but didn’t state that it was directed at him. Again, I’m not saying that it’s acceptable behavior or claiming that racism doesn’t ever occur at the Garden, but why aren’t the Celtics players coming out and saying that the fans are acting this way towards them. Are the Boston fans only racist towards the opposing teams? Also, why aren’t there players (not named Lebron or Kyrie) from other teams stating that they’ve had similar bad experiences at the Garden.

I guess you'd have to consider this from their perspective -- which is something not easily done.  As a hypothetical, let's say JT has heard the N-word at the Garden.  It's possible that as he considers coming out publicly the cost of doing so outweighs the benefit.

Say he did hear something during a game, What might the cost be of coming out and saying in a postgame interview that you heard some racial comments during the game and that it needs to stop? Since I’ve been watching the NBA I can’t ever recall a Celtics player saying that a Celtics fan called them a slur during a game. Is that just reserved for opposing players? And again, why is this only being stated by Kyrie and Lebron. Where are all the other players from other teams that had bad experiences playing at the TD Garden.

[gouki88]

It wouldn’t be the first time Smart either lied or misheard though…


https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/smarts-unanswered-question-does-him-a-disservice

The lengths you routinely go to in order to defend deplorable behaviour astonishes me

Seeing that you believe physical violence is an adequate response to words that you don’t like is probably the least shocking thing I’ve read all day.

Please point to where I said that

[gouki88]

Curious, Have any of the Celtics players stated that they have been subjected to racism themselves by the fans in Boston. Wouldn’t they also be targets as 95% of the team is non-white. Are the fans only racist towards the opposing teams players? Also, have any other NBA players other than Kyrie and Lebron recently stated that they’ve had bad experiences at the TD Garden?

Marcus has.

I thought he mentioned that he heard some things, but didn’t state that it was directed at him. Again, I’m not saying that it’s acceptable behavior or claiming that racism doesn’t ever occur at the Garden, but why aren’t the Celtics players coming out and saying that the fans are acting this way towards them. Are the Boston fans only racist towards the opposing teams? Also, why aren’t there players (not named Lebron or Kyrie) from other teams stating that they’ve had similar bad experiences at the Garden.

I guess you'd have to consider this from their perspective -- which is something not easily done.  As a hypothetical, let's say JT has heard the N-word at the Garden.  It's possible that as he considers coming out publicly the cost of doing so outweighs the benefit.

Say he did hear something during a game, What exactly would the cost be of coming out and saying in a postgame interview that you heard some racial comments during the game and that it needs to stop? Since I’ve been watching the NBA I can’t ever recall a Celtics player saying that a Celtics fan called them a slur during a game. Is that just reserved for opposing players? And again, why is this only being stated by Kyrie and Lebron. Where are all the other players from other teams that had bad experiences playing at the TD Garden.

Why are you going to such extreme lengths to try and doubt any and all experiences of racism in Boston?

[Goldstar88]

Curious, Have any of the Celtics players stated that they have been subjected to racism themselves by the fans in Boston. Wouldn’t they also be targets as 95% of the team is non-white. Are the fans only racist towards the opposing teams players? Also, have any other NBA players other than Kyrie and Lebron recently stated that they’ve had bad experiences at the TD Garden?

Marcus has.

I thought he mentioned that he heard some things, but didn’t state that it was directed at him. Again, I’m not saying that it’s acceptable behavior or claiming that racism doesn’t ever occur at the Garden, but why aren’t the Celtics players coming out and saying that the fans are acting this way towards them. Are the Boston fans only racist towards the opposing teams? Also, why aren’t there players (not named Lebron or Kyrie) from other teams stating that they’ve had similar bad experiences at the Garden.

I guess you'd have to consider this from their perspective -- which is something not easily done.  As a hypothetical, let's say JT has heard the N-word at the Garden.  It's possible that as he considers coming out publicly the cost of doing so outweighs the benefit.

Say he did hear something during a game, What exactly would the cost be of coming out and saying in a postgame interview that you heard some racial comments during the game and that it needs to stop? Since I’ve been watching the NBA I can’t ever recall a Celtics player saying that a Celtics fan called them a slur during a game. Is that just reserved for opposing players? And again, why is this only being stated by Kyrie and Lebron. Where are all the other players from other teams that had bad experiences playing at the TD Garden.

Why are you going to such extreme lengths to try and doubt any and all experiences of racism in Boston?

I’m not at all. It definitely happens, but it also happens everywhere else. I just don’t buy that Boston in 2022 is this horribly racist place unlike anywhere else, just because Lebron and Kyrie say it is.  So I’m just curious why other NBA players aren’t mentioning it. Why KG and Pierce never said anything about it. Just wondering is all.

[gouki88]

Curious, Have any of the Celtics players stated that they have been subjected to racism themselves by the fans in Boston. Wouldn’t they also be targets as 95% of the team is non-white. Are the fans only racist towards the opposing teams players? Also, have any other NBA players other than Kyrie and Lebron recently stated that they’ve had bad experiences at the TD Garden?

Marcus has.

I thought he mentioned that he heard some things, but didn’t state that it was directed at him. Again, I’m not saying that it’s acceptable behavior or claiming that racism doesn’t ever occur at the Garden, but why aren’t the Celtics players coming out and saying that the fans are acting this way towards them. Are the Boston fans only racist towards the opposing teams? Also, why aren’t there players (not named Lebron or Kyrie) from other teams stating that they’ve had similar bad experiences at the Garden.

I guess you'd have to consider this from their perspective -- which is something not easily done.  As a hypothetical, let's say JT has heard the N-word at the Garden.  It's possible that as he considers coming out publicly the cost of doing so outweighs the benefit.

Say he did hear something during a game, What exactly would the cost be of coming out and saying in a postgame interview that you heard some racial comments during the game and that it needs to stop? Since I’ve been watching the NBA I can’t ever recall a Celtics player saying that a Celtics fan called them a slur during a game. Is that just reserved for opposing players? And again, why is this only being stated by Kyrie and Lebron. Where are all the other players from other teams that had bad experiences playing at the TD Garden.

Why are you going to such extreme lengths to try and doubt any and all experiences of racism in Boston?

I’m not at all. It definitely happens, but it also happens everywhere else. I just don’t buy that Boston in 2022 is this horribly racist place unlike anywhere else, just because Lebron and Kyrie say it is.  So I’m just curious why other NBA players aren’t mentioning it. Why KG and Pierce never said anything about it. Just wondering is all.

Why would you expect players who play for the Celtics to experience similar racial animosity compared to opponents?

Who cares if it happens everywhere else (apparently)? This thread is about Boston arenas and the racial vilification that occurs in them. I think spending more effort in trying to address that would be worthwhile, rather than pressing for 'specific instances' or waiting to be provided with more examples to prove it.

[Neurotic Guy]

Curious, Have any of the Celtics players stated that they have been subjected to racism themselves by the fans in Boston. Wouldn’t they also be targets as 95% of the team is non-white. Are the fans only racist towards the opposing teams players? Also, have any other NBA players other than Kyrie and Lebron recently stated that they’ve had bad experiences at the TD Garden?

Marcus has.

I thought he mentioned that he heard some things, but didn’t state that it was directed at him. Again, I’m not saying that it’s acceptable behavior or claiming that racism doesn’t ever occur at the Garden, but why aren’t the Celtics players coming out and saying that the fans are acting this way towards them. Are the Boston fans only racist towards the opposing teams? Also, why aren’t there players (not named Lebron or Kyrie) from other teams stating that they’ve had similar bad experiences at the Garden.

I guess you'd have to consider this from their perspective -- which is something not easily done.  As a hypothetical, let's say JT has heard the N-word at the Garden.  It's possible that as he considers coming out publicly the cost of doing so outweighs the benefit.

Say he did hear something during a game, What might the cost be of coming out and saying in a postgame interview that you heard some racial comments during the game and that it needs to stop? Since I’ve been watching the NBA I can’t ever recall a Celtics player saying that a Celtics fan called them a slur during a game. Is that just reserved for opposing players? And again, why is this only being stated by Kyrie and Lebron. Where are all the other players from other teams that had bad experiences playing at the TD Garden.

What might be the cost?  How in the world would I know?  JT (the victim in the hypothetical) has walked through 24 years of life seeing the world through his own eyes, not mine.   I could make up a dozen reasons why a person could decide not to publicly discuss a racial incident, but I'd rather not. Though I'll give you one: maybe the person just wants to deal with it privately.  Is it possible for a person's life experience to tell him that making a public announcement about something someone yelled at him could end up not going well?   Since we are idly speculating here, what if the last time he told people about something that happened he wasn't believed and was henceforth considered a liar? 

We can't pretend we can put ourselves in other peoples shoes.  We can only presume they have different shoes and that their decisions make some sense based on paths they've walked.

Getting a little more real, the bottom line is that the fact that Celtics players haven't shared racial incidents in Boston could be because they never happened.  It could also be because they've chosen, for their own reasons, not to talk about it.

[Moranis]

DeMarcus Cousins said he was called the N-Word in Boston, which the Garden investigated and banned the fan for two years (which likely means it actually happened). 

https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/nba-rumors-fan-boston-banned-calling-demarcus-cousins-n-word

"I was told by league sources that the incident occurred while the Warriors were in Boston," Haynes said on The Spin. "During that game, there was a fan that muttered the n-word at DeMarcus Cousins. And I was told DeMarcus informed one of the team security guys, and they got a hold of the security team at TD Garden, they took care of the fan. And I was told, ultimately, that that fan was banned for the rest of this season and next year. So, he received a two-year ban."

I suspect it happens a lot more than becomes a national story because most players probably just ignore it. 


I mean here is a whole list of known incidents

https://www.complex.com/sports/2017/05/ugly-history-boston-being-most-racist-sports-city-america

[Roy H.]

DeMarcus Cousins said he was called the N-Word in Boston, which the Garden investigated and banned the fan for two years (which likely means it actually happened). 

https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/nba-rumors-fan-boston-banned-calling-demarcus-cousins-n-word

"I was told by league sources that the incident occurred while the Warriors were in Boston," Haynes said on The Spin. "During that game, there was a fan that muttered the n-word at DeMarcus Cousins. And I was told DeMarcus informed one of the team security guys, and they got a hold of the security team at TD Garden, they took care of the fan. And I was told, ultimately, that that fan was banned for the rest of this season and next year. So, he received a two-year ban."

You don’t win points for twisting narratives on the internet, you know.  It’s better to just present everything known and let the chips fall where they may.