Diversity In Basketball Continues To Trigger Players And Commentators

Diversity In Basketball Continues To Trigger Players And Commentators

It turns out professional basketball players and sports commentators aren't as fond of diversity as they claim.


It turns out professional basketball players and sports commentators aren't as fond of diversity as they claim.

For the first time in decades, white basketball players are among the best in the world. Nikola Jokic is the best. Caitlin Clark has transcended women's basketball. Luka Doncic's stat lines are historic. Cooper Flagg looks like a future superstar.

It's not as if black players, who make up the majority of men's and women's basketball, have faded. LeBron James and Steph Curry remain the most popular players in America. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is universally recognized as one of the top three players in the NBA. Victor Wembanyama will almost certainly claim that title soon.

Most of the top players are still black. Rather, they simply share more of the stage with white players now than in the past.

And that triggers people.


Kevin Durant complained this week that criticism of the NBA All-Star Game is really an attempt to elevate white players over black ones.

"You should ask the Europeans and the World team if they’re going to compete," Durant said. "If you look at Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic now, let’s go back and look at what they do in the All-Star Game … it’s a lot of bulls— with that. I can read between the lines on that. It’s a shot at black Americans. We’re controlling the sport. They’re tired of us controlling the sport."

Potential Democrat presidential candidate and current ESPN host Stephen A. Smith defended Durant's accusation Tuesday.

"David Stern to Adam Silver, these guys have supported these brothers, but America hasn’t always done so … if there were a bunch of Cooper Flagg(s) running around, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Dirk is from Germany. I’m talking about white American-born," Smith said.

"That’s a rarity in terms of superstar status in the US for the sport of basketball … KD is absolutely 1,000% right because if America had its druthers, it would rather not rely on the brothers. Even though you market NBA players who are brothers, it’s because you have no choice."

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