Fox Sports analyst and commentator Chris Broussard has found himself in hot water after questioning whether or not the Toronto Raptors can retain black “superstar” NBA players.
In a July 4 segment on FS1’s First Things First, while discussing Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets for a possible move to the Raptors, Broussard had a lot to say about the city, claiming he doesn’t think Durant will want to go to Toronto.
“I have visited there many times. Obviously I was there covering the league. Great city, but […] you know, this is not America and you feel it when you are there. I’m telling you, especially as an African American. It’s a different situation than what African Americans are used to,” Broussard said.
“I talked to people in this organization, before Ujiri, about, ‘Can they keep African-American superstars here?’
Broussard clarified his message in a tweet later that evening, writing, “I never said that black people are ‘treated worse in Toronto’ than in America. Never! This is ridiculous. I said that living there was different and ‘not the same as living in America for Blacks. A very diverse city. But only 8% black. I love visiting Toronto. I’m visiting.”
Former Raptor Rondae Hollis-Jefferson responded to a clip of Broussard’s comments on Twitter, “Yeah that’s a stretch… Canadians love you like you grew up there… he’s tripping.”
NBA veteran and former Raptor Darrick Martin also chimed in on Broussard’s hot streak for Toronto.
“Spoken as [uninformed] guy who is. I played for both the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors and my experience in those cities was amazing. I wouldn’t mind being in one of those cities for my entire 13-year NBA career,” Martin’s tweet read.
The image on the cover of this article is used for illustrative purposes only.
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