Kevin Love and JJ Redick on Being Called a 'White Boy' in The NBA

Kevin Love (The Cleveland Cavaliers) and JJ Redick (The New Orleans Pelicans) discuss what it's like to be called a "white boy" in the NBA after the Montrezl Harrell and Luka Doncic incident in the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks playoff series.

Subscribe to The Old Man and The Three Podcast w/ JJ Redick and Tommy Alter on Apple and Spotify.

[a-diddy]

Kevin love sounds exactly like everyone thinks kevin love would sound like

[jehushaphat]

I'm glad these two are talking about this. As a black man myself, I think it's disrespectful for anyone to call someone "white boy" or "black boy, " or any other derogatory remark indicating that a player cannot perform solely due to their race. I don't care what the race of the speaker is; I don't care if it's Larry Bird or Michael Jordan. I've heard that that's the way it's been done in the NBA for years, but tradition doesn't make it right. In the spirit of competition we can still have complete respect for one another.

[OkieAllDay]

Call a white player "white boy." and then they turn around and say "whatever black boy" and all heck would break lose. That's the double standard.

[howardtjh]

Kevin Love dont have to put any social messages on the back of his jersey. It's already Love.

[MD-nkqf]

Nah man. I understand the spirit of competition. As a black man, my excuse had always been, "Well, since when has being white in America been an insult". But that's wrong, because the honest context of what I said was that you being Caucasian somehow meant an inability to compete. Because of your skin color, you lack the ability to play a simple sport as well as me.

The equivalent would be, "Black boy, we don't wear lifejackets in the pool" if I showed up for a swimming competition.
I'll go the complete extra mile and say anything with "Black boy" in it would offend me.
So in today's age, I will lead by example and say it's WRONG. I was horribly wrong in my transgression. Montrez was wrong. Any individual of the black community doing it is wrong. We're better people than that. Care less how any white person can overlook it, turn the other cheek, or downplay it. IT'S WRONG.
Dare anyone to challenge that sentiment in the comments.

[semaj]

As a black man, this is awful. If we want equality we have to say things to other people that we are willing to hear from them. Double standards will get us nowhere.

[harkimb]

That situation never sat well with me because if Luka had said something similar to Harrell, he probably would've been suspended. As black people, we need to understand that it works both ways too. We can't just serve it but get offended when it gets served back

[mvpmvp]

i think its unsavory at the very least. i dont think the players have the intent to be racist with it but i wish it was discouraged. there are ways to trash talk without needing to mention skin color.

[hsyn]

No Kenny Smith said it's racist but it's not racism 😂😂😂 Kenny a clown for that

[pewpewTN]

Using someone's race as part of an insult is never acceptable & it's never acceptable to just play it down.
Imagine the unbelievable blowup & the full blown cancelation of anything you will ever do publicly if you called someone a "bitchass blackboy".
Respect works both ways or it dosen't work at all.

[TJ]

It's not okay from any side.. even joking around. I've been married to a beautiful black woman for 17 years. We have kids. We've been through ups and downs. All kinds of arguments and what have you. Neither one of us has ever called each other anything racist... We called each other everything else tho 🤣🤣🤣

[chazrobinson]

I'm glad they didn't shy away from this.. much respect.. as a pro black man .. that shouldn't be said .. treat people how u wanted be treated period.. that's for the whole world.. Harold was wrong

[TheRealAtrocity]

Kenny smith literally had the dumbest take ive ever heard on this lmao

[Laflamablanca]

“ racism is like putting one race above another”
When brothas say this that’s EXACTLY the context reddick is describing 😂😂🤦🏻‍♂️

They’re saying you can’t beat them because you’re white. This was so dumb 🤦🏻‍♂️

[tigeru]

If roles were reversed it would be seen as racist tho….

[rzc]

I grew up going to predominately black schools and playing sports at them and I was always just "white boy"...so what I think these guys are saying is that you become desensitized to it after you hear it everyday...but I still think it's not right to give someone a nickname based on skin color, or use it as an insult.

[TheDustin]

I don’t care about being called a white boy however, in a time when we are calling for equality and racial justice you can’t allow it. Luka saying something similar would probably be suspended for a season. Also Luka calling Harrell a racist term doesn’t put up any barriers. Harrell is a millionaire and can do what he wants.

[jgg]

If my white son had said 1/10th of the things to players of other races that they have said to him through the years of his sports career, I would have pulled him and shut it down quickly. Sometimes having no standards or expectations from people has consequences and follows the quote “the soft bigotry of low expectations”.

[chumachang]

Referring To Someone as “White Boy” Is Degrading. It’s Racist even if that wasn’t your intent. Basically That person looks down on your race. IT’s singling out a ethnicity which shouldn’t happen because we’re all equal.

[tingasboxbreak]

Don’t do/say things to people that you don’t want them to do or say unto you.