(Photo : CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)
BASKET-EURL-GER-RUS-BAMBERG-CSKA MOSCOW
Moscow's Sonny Weems (L) and Bamberg's Casey Jacobsen vie during the Euroleague baskelball match Brose Baskets Bamberg (GER) vs CSKA Moscow (RUS) in Bamberg, southern Germany on November 29, 2012. Moscow won the match 89-97.
Chinese fans threw racial slurs at American basketball player Sonny Weems during his game against the Liaoning Flying Leopards this week.
According to reports, Weems got into an altercation with Chinese player Han Dejun, resulting in the two of them being ejected from the competition.
Dejun's supporters urged Weems, who plays for the Guangdong Southern Tigers, to get out of China. After all, he's a Black man from the United States who happens to be playing for a Chinese-based team.
Chinese Basketball Association shows support for Sonny Weems
Following the incident, the Chinese Basketball Association released a statement saying that they won't tolerate the rude behavior of fans or even of the players that are discriminatory and offensive in nature.
"Whether on or off the field, fans should watch the game in a civilized manner, respect each other, do not do anything that damages the reputation of the team," they said via CNN.
Both teams also condemned the racial slurs uttered by the fans of Liaoning Flying Leopards, saying that their chosen words hurt the Guangdong team and damaged the league's image.
Jeremy Lin calls racial remarks against Sonny Weems hurtful
Taiwanese-American player Jeremy Lin showed his support for Weems following the incident. He said that the abuse that his fellow player received was disrespectful and hurtful because the racial slurs carried so much hurt, unfairness, and hatred.
As of late, Weems has not yet reacted publicly to the incident. He has not also responded to requests for comment.
US basketball at the center of racist remarks
This isn't the first time racial slurs were thrown at a basketball player or an athlete throwing racial slurs against another individual.
In May, NBA player Meyers Leonard received a $50,000 fine after using an anti-Semitic slur while hosting a video game stream of "Call of Duty."
Following the incident, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement saying Leonard would be required to attend a cultural diversity program. He was also suspended from all his team's activities and facilities for a week, according to People.
In March, a US announcer for a live broadcast of a girls' high school basketball game was also heard uttering racial slurs and profanities against players that knelt during the national anthem.
According to the BBC, the incident happened before the match between Norman High School and Midwest City.
A photo shows that at least two students knelt down during the national anthem to symbolize a protest against racism.
NFL player Colin Kaepernick was the first person to kneel down while the national anthem was playing back in 2016 in protest of police brutality. However, he was accused of being unpatriotic by the likes of Donald Trump.
The game was streamed live when announcer Matt Rowan uttered his controversial remarks. He later apologized for his comments.
Nets, Celtics guard Marcus Smart also experienced what it's like to be at the center of racist comments from fans. He said that he hoped his team's opponents would keep their remarks strictly about the game, according to SI.
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