A “Whites Only” League: Basketball And Racial Backlash
Posted by onehundredflowers on February 4, 2010
“It has come to the attention of the principals of the (All-American Basketball Alliance) that [W]hite basketball players are essentially ’shut out’ of conventional professional basketball due to the proliferation of non-organized play on the court,” said promoter Don “Moose” Lewis in a news release, ironically, issued on Martin Luther King Day. “With players on other professional teams carrying guns, attacking fans in the stands, and going through the motions of playing the game, fundamentally sound [W]hite players are a vanishing species.” – AABA founder Don “Moose” Lewis from bet.com.
Perhaps what’s just as outrageous as the proposed formation of a blatantly racist sports league is the audacity of its founder in denying any racist intent. What does it signify about “post-racial” America that this can happen during the reign of an African-American President? Coming in the wake of teabagger rage, is this a further sign of white supremacist momentum towards establishing a foothold in mainstream culture?
This article below originally appeared in thenation.com.
All-White Basketball League: Bringing Segregation Back
Southpaw
By Dave Zirin & David J. Leonard
February 2, 2010
Many in the media are already apoplectic about the infamous launch of the All-American Basketball Alliance (AABA). For those untainted by the news, the AABA would be a league exclusively for native-born whites. According to its press release, “only players that are natural-born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league.” Citing the predominance of “street ball” within players of color, their lack of fundamentals and the overall incivility of the NBA, Don “Moose” Lewis, the commissioner of the AABA, denied that the motivation of the league had anything to do with race or racism. “There’s nothing hatred about what we’re doing. I don’t hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here’s a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like,” he argued. “Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch? That’s the culture today, and in a free country we should have the right to move ourselves in a better direction.”
The proposed all-white league has pushed all the expected buttons, exponentially adding attention to its slimy venture. Vowing to “Stop All-White Basketball Team,” the Atlanta Branch of the NAACP described the AABA as an attempt “to set back what we’ve been trying to do for 100 years.” Charles Barkley expressed similar outrage: “It’s just blatantly racist if you look at the code words used. I don’t take it seriously, but it just lets you know there’s definitely blatant racism out there…. It lets you know, as a black man, there are people out there who don’t like you.” Others were aghast at the mainstreaming of this kind of ugly bigotry. As Scott Michaux, a columnist at the Augusta Chronicle, said, “sixty-two years after the Dixiecrats dissolved, forty-nine years after the last Caucasian-only clause was stricken from American sports, forty-two years after King was assassinated and just more than a year after we elected our first black president, I hoped this kind of ignorance might be on the wane.”
Despite the moral posturing against this utterly idiotic proposal, it has to be noted that the central obsessions and buzz words that define the mission of the AABA–the lack of fundamentals of African-American basketball players compared with the fundamentals of white players; the incivility and violence associated with today’s NBA; and the absence of desired role models–have long been part of the very mainstream, and often very racist, discussions of the NBA. For example, the supposed criminality and disfunction of today’s players has long been a common theme for mainstream columnists. Players are “thugs,” their friends are their “posses” and, as Jason Whitlock wrote, “Too many young, black professional athletes have too closely aligned themselves with the hip-hop culture, which in reality is nothing more than prison culture.” In addition, David Stern has postured as Commissioner Kipling, with his “burden” to police the way players dress, what they tweet and, in the wake of the Gilbert Arenas scandal, whether or not they play cards on team planes. The image projected is that players are barely tamed animals. But reality doesn’t back this up in the least. NBA players are far less likely to get into fights than are hockey players, but the question of color also colors the analysis of the real Beautiful Game.
This is seen in the trope, endlessly repeated as fact, that the greatest players in the world somehow lack fundamentals. Decrying the presence of high school to pro players, Barry Temkin, in the Chicago Tribune, called the NBA “the National Potential Association.” Skip Myslenski, also of the Tribune, referred to the NBA as “a developmental league,” while J.A. Adande writing in the Washington Post, huffed that the NBA has become “a place to refine skills, not develop them.” Then there is John Canzano of The Oregonian, who in the aftermath of the 2004 Pacers-Pistons brawl cited the NBA’s culture of “whining, unsportsmanlike, hyper-entitled attitude,” its promotion of “post-dunk celebrations,” which “are usually taunts,” and its cultivation of a culture that “thinks that embarrassing other players, showing them up with a stare, a chest pump, a double biceps pose…is entertainment.”
Yes, the AABA is lunatic and racist–and doesn’t deserve an ounce of our attention. But it must be acknowledged that without the incessant and utterly unnecessary backlash against NBA players, led by the media and the league’s own commissioner, the league never would have seen the light of day.
—————————————-
About Dave Zirin
Dave Zirin is The Nation’s sports editor. He is the author of Welcome to the Terrordome: the Pain Politics and Promise of Sports (Haymarket) and A People’s History of Sports in the United States (The New Press). His writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated.com and The Progressive. He is the host of Sirius/XM’s Edge of Sports Radio.
About David J. Leonard
David J. Leonard is an associate professor in the Department of Comparative Ethnic Studies at Washington State University. His next book (SUNY Press) is on the NBA after the November 2004 brawl during a Pacers-Pistons game at the The Palace of Auburn Hills (Michigan).
Koba said
Colbert responds — http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/2010/01/29/colbert-on-the-all-white-basketball-league/
MOVIE, REVIEWED said
“Coming in the wake of teabagger rage, is this a further sign of white supremacist momentum towards establishing a foothold in mainstream culture?”
Haven’t White supremacists had a “foothold in mainstream culture” for the past 400 years or so?
Stanley W. Rogouski said
This is a good example of a proposal that’s so utterly ludicrous it almost invites ridicule. But in some ways that seems to be the point.
The most blatent racists in the mainstream media today invite scorn and ridicule. Glenn Beck is crazy. Rush Limbaugh is morally degenerate. But by assuming a pose that invites ridicule racism insulates itself from being neutralized by ridicule.
As nutty as Glenn Beck seems, as morally obtuse as Limbaugh seems, they’re still on the air every day mainstreaming white nationalism.
This propodal is well in keeping with this style. Moose Lewis knows this league is a non-starter. But that’s the point. It’s a “talking point.” By proposing it, he gets to say “well there are all womens colleges or the Congressional Black caucus, what about that?”
Dave Zirin rightfully throws the focus off of the ludicrous Moose Lewis and puts it squarely where it belongs, on mainstream sportswriters.
Jeff Weinberger said
Let’s start a whites only Marxist group, too. We can meet at the whites only soul food spot.
zerohour said
Movie, Reviewed said: “Haven’t White supremacists had a “foothold in mainstream culture” for the past 400 years or so?”
I agree that this is generally true, but since the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, overt expressions of racism are usually avoided in favor of coded words like “urban.” Language and imagery alone don’t change the reality of racist practice, but they can serve to legitimize, obscure or challenge the rationale underlying such practice.
In the past, people who have expressed such overt racism have often yielded to the pressure to publicly account for their statements. Some apologize, some lie and some [temporarily] retreat from public view, but since Obama’s election, it seems that some have been more open and forceful. There is still some hesitation to take full responsibility in public, after all they still deny that they are racists, but it seems that there is still some increase in boldly asserting a racist agenda in some arenas.
Or is it just media providing a small minority of people with attention that’s disproportionate to any real movement on the ground?
CPSA said
Go Lakers. Ahem.
Zack said
There…
I fixed the image for you.
eric ribellarsi said
Zack, your link isn’t working.
Zack said
Try… THIS.
http://yfrog.com/05triplethediplej
MOVIE, REVIEWED said
Zach,
This guy’s weight is not the issue here – it’s his racism.
The third wave feminists call what you’re doing “body snark” and it’s not cool.
Zack said
I don’t see you making an image on his racism. His triple chin is indeed hilarious. If you don’t think so you’re dead wrong.
ps- it’s a joke, get a sense of humor.
pps- lighten up.
pps- seriously.
Zack said
…oh! and my name is clearly not Zach.
Stanley W. Rogouski said
This guy’s weight is not the issue here – it’s his racism.
Actually the issue is his uncanny resemblance to Christopher Hitchens.
Stanley W. Rogouski said
Then again, maybe he doesn’t look like Hitchens, or maybe just a weak, flabby version of the already flabby British pundit. Perhaps he’d have more character if he took up drinking and atheism.
I would however pay to see him teach Kobe Bryant the “fundamentals of basketball” in a one on one.
MOVIE, REVIEWED said
Zack,
No, I’m not going to “lighten up” here.
I’m a communist and, since you’re posting at a revolutionary communist website, I suspect you are too (or, at the very least, somebody who believes in social change).
How does it make the world a better place to ridicule somebody just because they are fat?
Basically, what you are saying is, this guy would be fine with you if he was skinny, despite his White supremacist politics – but, since he’s fat, you despise him, and you would feel the same contempt for him even if he were to renounce racism and become a communist.
For that matter, do you feel the same way about me?
Look at my icon – that’s a photograph of me, and yes I’m fat.
I’m also a communist.
But what do you see when you see me?
A comrade?
Or a horrible fat person you hate just because of my weight?
That’s a prejudice, Zack – not as socially toxic as Moose Lewis’ negrophobic racism, but still a form of bigotry nonetheless and frankly not that far from how he sees the world.
So no, I’m not going to “lighten up” about that – the same way I wouldn’t “lighten up” if Moose Lewis made a racist joke about Black people.
Camouflaging bigotry as “humor” doesn’t make it socially acceptable – or revolutionary.
Stanley W. Rogouski said
Well, the NBA does in fact discrimate against the unathletic. You can be white, black, or Asian, but you’d better be 6′5″ tall and have good hand eye coordination.
This doesn’t mean that overweight people don’t deserve to be treated with respect. But there are organizations which can, and should, discrimate on the basis of physical size and strength.
What Moose Lewis is suggesting is that there be a professional basketball league with affirmative action for white people, that a fat, out of shape white guy should have the same opportunity to play professional basketball as Kobe Byrant.
Stanley W. Rogouski said
In fact, what would be the best word for Moose Lewis?
How about “racial collectivist”?
Capitalism, in the form of the individualist style of some African American players, offends him.
MOVIE, REVIEWED said
Stanley,
I think you are mixing apples and oranges here.
Yes, athletic leagues select their players based on athleticism and playing ability.
But that is not “discrimination” – it’s a bona fide job requirement.
Not the same thing at all.
There is a very precise meaning to the legal term “discrimination”, Stanley – and hiring the most qualified candidate, by definition, is not “discrimination”.
In the case of a basketball league, the most qualified candidate would be a tall and muscular young male.
Moose Lewis wants to build a basketball league where only White athletes would be allowed to play – in other words, he’s imposed an illegitimate job requirement.
But, even within the framework of that racist and discriminatory job requirement, Lewis would still be imposing legitimate job requirements such as age, gender (i.e. since this is a men’s basketball league no woman player would be hired), height, musculature and playing ability.
As it happens, there are lots of White men who are excellent basketball players – Dirk Nowitzki, David Lee, Manu Ginóbili and I could go on – and I’m sure they’d be welcomed in Lewis’ racist league.
Now that is totally separate from Zack’s body snark.
I was calling Zack on his ridicule of Moose Lewis solely based on his weight.
Lewis weight and personal appearance are absolutely irrelevant to this discussion.
There are no physical fitness requirements for basketball league commissioners or other management officials – they don’t play the game, they just supervise the people that do – so a fat man is perfectly qualified to hold that job, provided that he is an expert on basketball theory and management.
Lewis is a professional wrestling promoter – and, as an executive in an athletic organization, he is qualified to hold his post, irregardless of his weight, or his politics.
His physical appearance is irrelevant.
Now, perhaps to 10 year old schoolyard bullies and others with a similar level of emotional stuntedness and thinly concealed insecurity, belittling a fat person for their weight is acceptable – and for those with an inadequately developed sense of humor, it might even be “funny”.
But it’s not communist to ridicule a person because of his or her appearance.
That is the mentality of the oppressors and has no place among those seeking liberation.
Yeah, I know I’m a killjoy who “spoils the joke” – but not all “jokes” are funny and, in fact, much of American “humor” is thinly veiled bigotry and hate speech, targeting the weak and the “less than” and no, I don’t laugh at those jokes either.
So, no Zack, your fat joke was not funny
Beyond that, I think folks might want to take note of the fact that Moose Lewis is a professional wrestling promoter – and, since his league has neither investors nor franchise cities nor players, this is probably what wrestling fans call “an angle” – that is to say, he put this story out to attract attention and get publicity and it’s not a real sports league.
Their have been times when wrestlers and wrestling promoters have worked angles like this on the general public – like the famous fake public feud between Jerry ‘the King’ Lawler and Andy Kaufmann almost 30 years ago, or the fake same sex marriage angle between World Wrestling Federation tag team wrestlers Billy and Chuck back in 2002.
In other words, this is a very elaborate practical joke on Moose Lewis part.
Now, the fact that Lewis would stage such an openly racist practical joke says a lot about his personal racism (and the world of pro wrestling is notorious for it’s open racism – something that has always distressed pro wrestling fans of color like myself) – but that’s still no excuse for ridiculing Lewis for his weight.
Incidentally, despite his weight, Lewis has spent most of his adult life as a pro wrestler, so whatever Zack may think of his physical appearance, I’d bet that Lewis is far more athletic than Zack (and would probably be willing to demonstrate that physical superiority in the back alley or bar parking lot of Zack’s choice).
Stanley W. Rogouski said
As it happens, there are lots of White men who are excellent basketball players – Dirk Nowitzki, David Lee, Manu Ginóbili and I could go on – and I’m sure they’d be welcomed in Lewis’ racist league.
Actually they wouldn’t, since they’re all foreign born.
Interestingly enough, there have been two forms of racial discrimation in the NBA.
The first is discrimination against blacks. Charles Barkeley once remarked that the 12th man on any NBA team is always white. John Stockton was a great basketball player, but Isiah Thomas should have been on the original “Dream Team” instead. In 1997, the Seattle Sonics recruited a mediocre white center named Jim McIlvaine and paid him more than they paid Shawn Kemp.
But in the early and mid 1990s there was some discrimation against East European players entering the NBA. Drazen Petrovic, for example, didn’t make the All Star team in 1993, when he was easily one of the best shooting guards the NBA had ever seen. But the East European players eventually broke through without the need of an all white league to help them.
onehundredflowers said
[Moderator's note]: Please keep the discussion focused on politics and not personal characteristics. Reactionaries share some of the same physical qualities that mark many of us for social discrimination. No matter how reactionary one’s politics, it is not license to pick on their physical features in ways that mirror the more corrosive sentiments in our society.
On another note, tone down the personal barbs. Revisit the moderation policy here for our stance on flaming: http://z11.invisionfree.com/Kasama_Threads/index.php?showtopic=427. We want to have an open civil discussion amongst progressives and revolutionaries, and need to build a culture of respect along with principled critique.
Zack said
tl;dr