ESPN's Ramona Shelburne has sent an apology to the city of New Orleans after receiving some backlash for her thoughts on why Anthony Davis has received so much vitriol for his move to the Los Angeles Lakers.
During an appearance on ESPN LA Radio, Shelburne suggested all the hate for Davis' trade request last season was due to racism and New Orleans being located in the South.
Via Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
“Since my appearance on LA radio Tuesday, I've spoken to many people and now realize that I inappropriately oversimplified a very complicated and emotional situation,” Shelburne said in the statement. “I sincerely apologize for that mistake and to the city of New Orleans.”
Shelburne made an ill-advised remark as a guest on the Mason & Ireland Show, spitballing without concrete evidence that her theory has any rails of traction:
“Part of the reason why New Orleans didn’t want to trade him for so long is because they couldn’t get fair value for him,” Shelburne said during the show. “But I think the idea that a black agent was telling, not asking, telling the team, ‘You should trade him,’ and he wasn’t gonna, that did not go over well in New Orleans. Especially with, I don’t want to say, ‘That fan base,’ but you’re down in the South, man. This was very charged. And I think that when things get ugly emotionally like that, it’s not just about what’s going on on the court. It’s not just about the moves being made.”
Asked whether racism would be part of the reason he'll hear boos on Wednesday upon his homecoming to The Big Easy, the eighth-year big man was quick to turn it down:
Anthony Davis when asked if he thought any boos tonight would have anything to do with racism (in response to the Ramona Shelbourne comments). "No. No."
— Rod Walker (@RodWalkerNola) November 27, 2019
It will be an emotional night for Davis and the Lakers against the Pelicans on Wednesday.
Follow Us
Subscribe