Bobby Burack
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Brooklyn Nets hired Steve Nash as head coach on Thursday. Thus, ESPN had a conversation on race.
“There is no way around it,” Stephen A. Smith teased. “This is white privilege. This doesn’t happen for a black man.”
Quite a statement. “White privilege,” he claimed with no evidence.
There’s no proof Nash got to skip traditional coaching steps because of the color of his skin. If one is to assume why, which is what Smith is doing, odds are it is because Nash is an all-time great basketball player and leader.
Nash, the former part-time Warriors’ assistant is also familiar with Kevin Durant, the Nets’ superstar. Furthermore, both Durant and fellow star Kyrie Irving signed off on the hire.
Adding it all up, this is a logical, high-upside hire. Just not to Smith, who, instead, irresponsibly took a factless route and made it about race. I say “factless” because it’s inaccurate.
“This wouldn’t happen for a black man,” Smith claimed. Nope, never. It never happened for Mark Jackson, Isiah Thomas, Derek Fisher or Magic Johnson, did it?
It happens to former white players and former black players. The common thread is not skin color. It is point guards who project to be good head coaches.
This is race-baiting and misinformation spreading.
There is racism in America. But when the media cites racism for a decision it doesn’t like, it diminishes real, concerning racial problems. It’s a disservice to the cause Smith and others say they are fighting for.
Steve Nash didn’t benefit from the privilege of his skin color. That’s a conspiracy theory, one ESPN just promoted on its top daily studio show.
Yeah in the pic sitting next to cube you know the cat that said F the police repeatedly
I still don’t understand why Mark Levin likes this racist.
Some people just like having pet snakes or tarantulas…
Stephen A. Smith- Open mouth insert head up a**.
ESPN and the media push conspiracy theories very often. I miss the days when we all joined in unison to mock conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists.
There’s an old saying; “When all you’ve got is a hammer everything looks like a nail.” The American Left are completely out of rational arguments and have been for some time. They’ve lost every single debate on the merits. The only thing remaining for them is to shout “racism” at everything. But I have to give credit where it’s due. It’s surprising how much mileage they’ve gotten out of the hammer of “racism.”
Dear Screamin A,
DBAP
Agree that Stephen Smith sounds crazy, but on the other hand Nash has been an outspoken liberal and now once again the left will eat its own.
I’m becoming numb to this kind of stuff.
I’m genuinely surprised Smith would come out with a take this stupid, this devoid of truth and this so easily debunked. Wow.
Agreed. Did Max possess him or something?
Quel surprise! Screamin’ A., the head race baiter at the four-letter network, cries RA-cism…
They won’t learn until ESMsNBC and the parent Company Disney are held to account, which means nobody goes to Disney and nobody watches ESPN. I cut Espn off my directv and may cut Directv, which is owned by ATT, which owns CNN and time warner. I’ve been a mobile customer of ATT since 1993 and I’m about to cut that too.
This shows it is pure desperation time for the far left. After the Jacob Blake reaction disaster, they have to reach for everything. Anything positive that happens to any white person, the far left will decry as racism. Luckily the far left only represents a very small portion of America that is amplified by the Mainstream Media and social media. The NBA ratings are proof that far left politics are not popular at all in this country.
what a joke! ESPN should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this commentary
That actually surprises me. I didn’t think Smith really delved into race hustling angles before. That’s something you might expect from Kellerman and many other sports hosts, but less so Smith. The cult is infecting everyone at ESPN.
Honestly – being an NBA coach is really not that big of a deal as it used to be. Teams recycle and abuse them like lab rats and also make them expendable as scapegoats as soon as teams under perform, Hall of Famers or not, black or white, etc. it doesn’t really matter (see Jason Kid, Ty Lue, Brett Brown, Jeff Hornacek, Mark Jackson, Derek Fisher, George Karl, Larry Brown, the list just goes on and on and on….). Actually surprised that Steve Nash actually wants the job as head coaching in the NBA is essentially low-class servitude kissing up to the spoiled modern players. Odds that Nash does not coach out his contract at greater than 80%….
Jason Kidd on that list too? Stephen A isn’t racist, he’s just wrong on this one…
Blames it on white privilege whatever that is yeah he’s racist when it’s all about skin color can’t be anything but.
While actual racism does still exist in America (it will never go away, but we as citizens can suppress it and try to destroy it), using it as a crutch for everything is crying wolf too many times. The leagues and players supporting BLM will realize that they overplayed their hand, and reactions to their lectures will be brutal. Their PR campaign is going to backfire spectacularly.
Bobby, like you said, Durant and Kyrie Irving signed off on the hire. I wouldn’t be surprised if Durant and Irving pulled strings behind the scenes, trying to help Nash get the Job. Either way, Nash knows basketball (obviously), is well liked, and has leadership skills. Nash is deserving.
And I’m not saying racism exists in NFL, but if I was going to question head coaches in sports, it would be NFL coaches Matt Patricia and Bill O’Brien. I realize they got jobs because of connections to Belichick, but still, after watching them coach last year (Patricia in regular season and O’Brien’s ridiculous playoff performance), it’s head scratcher why those two have jobs. ……The hiring of Nash is not a head scratcher.
Like you said Bobby, we will never get anywhere in combating racism if media leftists keep calling it out in places where it isn’t.
we all know the old adage “sex sells”. at MSESPN, “racism sells” – which is sad. and pathetic. and by now they should be figuring out that false claims of racism do not sell very well.
Was the Jason Kidd hire white or black?
I am transitioning from sports to excellent books — novels, mysteries, historical fiction, actual history.
Also discovering stuff on Netflix like the MARS series produced by National Geo. I’ve lived and breathed sports my whole life but it’s not sports anymore. It’s politics.
How does this loud mouthed, racist moron keep a job in this business? What an idiotic statement. Did “Black Privilege” ensure an NBA consisting of 80% black players?
No; sports are meritocracies and, in most cases, the best players make the field, and black athletes sometimes tend to be superior to white athletes. But to race baiters like Smith, the world won’t be a “just” place until black people hold every coaching, playing and ownership position in pro sports. What a stupid, stupid, stupid person.
I am so sick of ESPN and the NBA……..who cares.
Stephen Nash is a strategic hire he will be necessary
to register at Hotels when the nba travels to
China 🇨🇳 Most people don’t understand the Total Racism
that exists in China ..Does Stephen A think attendance at games should be limited to Black people only ?
No Basketball Anymore
Not amused 😒
Been off the grid for a bit. Had to saddle up and ride into this. You’re welcome.
SAS is a loser and what he would hate to be known as A BLACK MAN is a clown. This guy is a cartoon character. Talk about painting yourself into a corner. Every black point guard of note seems to get a gig coaching. As mentioned why would anyone want this job or any NBA head coaching job. What a shit show trying to coach players who I don’t think can handle criticism. One of the reasons Bron is so pissed is Trump called him out. Guess who else in Bron’s life did – you’re right no one. There is coddled and then there is the NBA. Rich and miserable. You can’t even get rich and happy right. I know a little about the NBA from reading about it, haven’t seen a game in decades. As for SAS, How is this show rolled out everyday and who is consuming it. Trapped in a barber chair? Kellerman blows beyond belief. Who is watching this. Seriously.
Talk about stirring up racial tensions. Thank you so much for making America great again Stephen A.
Obama said racism is our DNA. Nothing we can do about. I never knew that until our president educated Americans. Maybe it’s in his DNA and is assuming everyone is like him.