Overall, we prefer to ignore comments from Gilbert Arenaswho likes to play the provocateur in his podcast, with an increasingly xenophobic discourse towards all non-American basketball players in the NBA.
But his latest remarks, after the US narrow victory in South Sudan, have caused great shock.
It must be said that the former “Agent Zero” went particularly far this time, notably saying: “We have the guys who almost lost to some Africans. Joel Embiid almost gave the game to his cousins. We shouldn't lose to “A player who lives up to his standards”. Let's go, “Rasta Rockett” ? We're not supposed to lose to Rasta Rockett's team. They don't even have shoes. We need to send them shoes… They're shooting wicker baskets, in the dirt, with no shoes.”
Just humor…
Asked about the subjecteven though he had not heard the comments, Joel Embiid showed his disappointment.
“Obviously, I don’t approve. I’m African first. I may play for the United States, but I’m Cameroonian first. I don’t know exactly what he said so I can’t comment on it. But if it’s that negative, it’s just disappointing. You see what African basketball has done for us to be in this position, for us to have some impact. Even in my position, I still have a lot of impact where I come from and on the whole African continent. And that will never stop.”
Obviously, Gilbert Arenas immediately followed up, asking the Sixers center if he was “really offended” or if he did “pretending to be offended to get clicks” ?
However, the retiree still attempted a mea culpa, assuring that he was simply being humorous.
“I have a lot of respect for the South Sudan team and what they bring to the field. If anyone felt racist about what I said, it’s my fault. I didn’t mean for it to be understood that way.”
