South Sudan Basketball Federation president Luol Deng has responded to the offensive feedback that have been made concerning the South Sudan Olympic workforce.
He particularly names Paul Pierce and Gilbert Arenas.
“I’m not upset or offended at these ignorant remarks made by my former colleagues; I used to be extra disenchanted to see them coming from two people I’ve all the time revered,” Deng stated on Instagram. “The feedback made by Paul Pierce confirmed misinformation and a scarcity of analysis. Nonetheless, he used it as a teachable second to shed positivity as soon as he was knowledgeable. Thanks to Paul Pierce for apologising, that i can respect.
“Rising up, I heard many comparable feedback, and people very remarks are a number of the issues that motivated me to alter the narrative. Africans now present solidarity and help for one another greater than ever. Moments like this usually are not for us to get upset and lash out. Many Africans and Black individuals who embrace their African heritage are working laborious to convey all Black folks nearer by educating and sharing tales and historic moments, instructing that we’ve got rather more in frequent than variations.
“As for Gilbert’s feedback, they have been definitely extra disrespectful and merciless. Personally, I don’t care a lot. I’d by no means commerce locations with anybody; being African is particular. Nonetheless, for younger African and African American children who admire and take heed to Gilbert, these feedback could make you suppose much less of your self and make the remainder of the world suppose much less of Africans. Those that are simply misled could make feedback that mirror self-hate greater than pleasure. There may be nothing about our historical past that we should always run away from.
“I really wish to thank each of them for giving us this platform to reply and inform others. We’ve labored very laborious within the final 4 years to be right here, and we are able to’t permit mere seconds to take that away. As a substitute, let’s recognize the second and use these feedback as a possibility to coach. Being cherished is all the time higher than being tolerated.
“If we as a folks realized the greatness from which we got here we’d be much less more likely to disrespect ourselves.”
Throughout an episode of Undisputed earlier than South Sudan v USA’s exhibition recreation, Pierce mocked the African workforce and stated, “… they most likely don’t have anyone over 6’3.”
Arenas took issues a step too far although and made some extraordinarily offensive feedback concerning the South Sudan workforce, in addition to Joel Embiid.
