It has been 17 years since one of the most historic events in NBA history took place in Michigan, and we were close to having another version of it on Sunday night.
You have been made aware of what happened inside Little Caesars Arena in Detroit during the third quarter of the Lakers and Pistons game. James hit Stewart in the face, causing him to bleed. Stewart tried everything he could to get to James.
It got testy.
James and Stewart were both thrown out. James and Stewart both passed on speaking to the media after the game, in which the incident fueled the Lakers to a badly needed comeback win. We are waiting to see what the damage will be as fines and suspensions are on the way.
This column is not about who was or wasn't wrong. I don't care about the fight, the punishments or the game's outcome.
This is to warn you about the racist and inappropriate things that are going to be written this week. Closets love using code words to say what they think about Black people, especially those who play sports. Don't be surprised if you hear words like "barbaric" or "animal behavior" Someone will take a deep dive into Stewart's past and try to find out if he has any "character issues" as they will be curious as to whether his father was in his life or not. You can be certain that someone will use the word thug, which is a code word for nier.
We have been here before.
Bob Costas said in an old clip that there were too many players in the league who were kind of a thug mentality.
There is a group of white media members who are gleefully spouting their hate with reckless abandon. Klan members are given a free pass to take their hoods off. One man says Black players don't know how to act in a civilized, normal society, while Olbermann labels them asgangster wannabes.
It is likely that those who think I am assuming the worst in people are not aware of what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a bad experience. Everyone was aware of how things could have turned out on Sunday night, even though there were no punches thrown or brawls in the stands.
We are back in Detroit. After the game, Anthony Davis said, "So, flashbacks." Some players tried to de-escalate the situation, but the NBA security, their security, our security, coaching staff, even some players did a good job of that.
Fans threw popcorn on Russell Westbrook, spit on Trae Young, and threw things at Kyrie Irving and Immanuel Quickley during the playoffs, but it has become common for fans to act like sense has finally become common. The internet is the devil's playground, so let's not act like everyone else will follow suit. Over the next few days, there will be a lot of hot takes about the incident on both Facebook and Twitter. Some will be very offensive, while others will be more subtle. Those are the people who usually consider themselves allies.
The media landscape will likely see a field day with this. If other people get in on the act, you will be surprised. Black people can weaponize it in an even more impactful way for their own self-interests, even if they are not white.
A triggering event made us think about the past. The players and fans proved that they learned from their mistakes. If everyone else has, the coming days will teach us.
