Anti-Racist of the Week: Mutombo!

by guest contributor Philip Arthur Moore, originally published at TheThink

basketball mutombo racist fan The start of the NBA season is just around the corner, which means more opportunities for me to find news that’s either related to (1) black people, (2) black people and their white friends, or (3) racist fans.

On Thursday night Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo got into an altercation with a fan who allegedly yelled racist slurs at him, including the word “monkey”, during a preseason game against the Orlando Magic.

A video of the actual exchange wasn’t available on ESPN but we were able to see the actual fan who got kicked out of the building due to the slurs he yelled at Mutombo, who was born in the Congo.

On whether he would be fined for nearly going into the stands after the fan, Mutombo had these words:

I am not going to take that. He was insulting my race, my family, my integrity. For him to call me a monkey … that should not happen today.”

[…]

“If I get fined, I will go straight into the stands the next time.”

The saddest part about this entire thing is that the fan looked like a person of color. I could be wrong, but check the video out yourself.

My best friend, being the near perfect woman that she is, convinced me to join her in a salary cap fantasy basketball league this year. I’ve never done fantasy basketball (I’ve been too busy Crushing Ass in football), but it should give me good reason to watch NBA news more closely this year. I’m glad Mutombo stood up for himself. You’ve got to respect the man for that.

8 Words: Go Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean Jacques Wamutombo!!!

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In case you missed it… at Anti-Racist Parent - for parents committed to raising children with an anti-racist outlook on 03 Nov 2006 at 4:50 pm

[...] Anti-Racist of the Week: Mutombo!: On Thursday night Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo got into an altercation with a fan who allegedly yelled racist slurs at him, including the word “monkey”, during a preseason game against the Orlando Magic. [...]

Comments

dcase wrote:

What’s new? If you have been to any of the major sporting events, you will be familiar with the vitriolic language that comes out of the mouths of “fans” and often fans throw things such as cups and batteries at the players. This is in public; can you imagine what people do at home and in bars? Once, one of my colleagues-in a World Cup frenzy- called a player for Ghana “black monkey” with me sitting next to him.

However,this illustrates why the major sporting leagues need to have more rules with respect to fan accountability. Just because one has bought a seat does not give them the right to abuse the players. I do not want players charging into the stands, but it is rather hard to condemn them when they are treated in this manner. We wouldn’t allow this to go on in an office; it should not be allowed in the players’ place of business.

Posted 30 Oct 2006 at 11:09 am ¶
Daniel wrote:

The bottom line is that the idiot in the stands is a creep. Of all people in professional sports, he had to insult Mr. Mutombo? There are many athletes, both black and white who are possibly deserving of some derision, but using lame, tired, ignorant racial slurs to express opinion is moronic, childish, hateful and ridiculous. Mr. Mutombo is one of the most intelligent men in professional sports and one of the nicest. He deserves only our respect. Ironically, most monkeys have white skin under their fur.

Posted 04 Nov 2006 at 10:32 am ¶