No Chill Gilbert Arenas is under fire, once again, this time for going on a wild xenophobic rant about the South Sudan basketball team following Team USA’s near defeat in a recent exhibition game.
What’s crazy about this beyond what comes off as xenophobia and what some are calling straight up racism, is South Sudan BALLED OUT. They showed up despite the fact that these young brothers are mostly living in different parts of the world due to their country being subjected to generational conflicts, civil war and more.
Then Arenas comes in with his comedy that only he finds funny to criticize the America’s team, lead by LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis just to make these weird downright racist comments about African society. Everybody we just mentioned is Black. And Arenas is “joking” about AFRICAN SOCIETY. SMH.
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Here’s what he said …
“The males almost lost to some Africans. We almost lost and the King had to save us. I know the LeBron haters are mad. We almost lost to the ‘Ahi Ahi’ tribe, this is crazy,” Arenas was eluding to LeBron James’ game saving role for Team USA win.
Agent Zero didn’t stop there. He made ridiculous remarks about Joel Embiid, a player from Cameroon, by flat out associating him with the South Sudanese team, saying:
“Man, Embiid over there goddamn throwing the game because he’s throwing the game for his cousins and shit. We’re not supposed to be losing to them. Come on man! Cool runnings? We’re not supposed to lose to some Cool Runnings team. They don’t even have shoes! They get shoes from America, we have to ship them shoes.”
What the actual F. Is Gilbert Arenas okay?
Oh he didn’t stop. He kept going:
“We’re losing to people who are shooting on peach baskets, in dirt, no shoes.”
Get this, South Sudan’s basketball program, spearheaded by former NBA veteran player Luol Deng, has made remarkable strides, culminating in their qualification for the 2024 Olympics.
The country itself is a new state and only gained sovereign independence just over a decade ago. Arenas’ vile remarks failed to mention their monumental achievements and that of its national team on the international stage.
Arenas usually has honest takes on basketball. He often makes great points about the sport, the business of the NBA and understands the nuances of the game. All that aside this was wack and he owes South Sudan, and the whole damn continent an apology. Period.