All White T-Wolves Defeat OKC

[willinphilly]

The T-Wolves, which start 5 white players with most key bench players being white, knocked off OKC last night. Now, before people get all excited and accuse me of bringing up an irrelevant detail, try to think of the last team that featured 5 white starters in the NBA. In addition, the head of the Minneapolis NAACP has filed a complaint against the team, accusing the organization of being biased against blacks. I certainly think this complaint is absurd, but this is an interesting story. Now that's Rubio's slowly coming back, this could be a pretty interesting season for Kevin Love & Co.

 

[thatguyed]

Can't touch this!

 

[upstater]

Half the team is made up of Euros. This is likely a coincidence, but I don't know the inside scoop, and I can't say I care to know.

I remember the Celtics used to be accused of racism in the 80s because they did send an all-white team out there (non-starting) composed of Ainge, Bird, McHale and sometimes Walton and Sichting would be out there. But the coach was African-American and the guy who ran the team was notable for having the first all-black team in the history of the NBA. That team won in the 1960s with a lot of black players, and they won in the 1980s with a lot of white players. The common denominator: WINNING. So it was ludicrous to accuse them of racism.

Across town, however, the Red Sox had huge problems with racial issues, and the owners were n record for being just this side of the Marge-Schott-line of outright seething.

In other words, some owners really do have a problem with race, while other owners don't but are accused of having such a problem.

I also note that a lot of sports commentators have started to pick up on the fact that the New England Patriots have 2 white WRs, 2 white TEs, an all white OL other than backups. (Of course, the Patriot defense is almost entirely black other than Ninkovich). So, what do the journalists do? They root for an almost all-black Baltimore Ravens team. It's downright stupid and silly.

 

[freescooter]

Maybe the world really is ending!

 

[Waquoit]

The T-Wolves, which start 5 white players with most key bench players being white, knocked off OKC last night. Now, before people get all excited and accuse me of bringing up an irrelevant detail, try to think of the last team that featured 5 white starters in the NBA. In addition, the head of the Minneapolis NAACP has filed a complaint against the team, accusing the organization of being biased against blacks. I certainly think this complaint is absurd, but this is an interesting story. Now that's Rubio's slowly coming back, this could be a pretty interesting season for Kevin Love & Co.

Sometimes that the way thing's work out. Winning is the thing. It always bothered me when they attacked Red Auerbach. He was the first guy to play 5 black players. The first guy to hire a black coach, a second and third black head coach. All he cared about was winning and getting the best players he could. That 80's team was a perfect storm of great GM deal making. He got Bird and Ainge much later in the draft that they deserved to go. The trade that brough McHale also brought Parish, for Joe Barry Carroll. He got Walton for nothing. And he picked up Dennis Johnson for a fan favorite white guy, who just happened to be a stiff.

 

[Husky68]

Funny I was watching game, saw the same 5 white guys. My reaction wasn't "poor black guys getting discriminated against, again"; was that some of those guys looked like movie characters from Vampire vs. Werewolf movies; that guy who scored a lot of points in the 1st half could play the James Bond character with the metal teeth.

 

[Husky68]

Sometimes that the way thing's work out. Winning is the thing. It always bothered me when they attacked Red Auerbach. He was the first guy to play 5 black players. The first guy to hire a black coach, a second and third black head coach. All he cared about was winning and getting the best players he could. That 80's team was a perfect storm of great GM deal making. He got Bird and Ainge much later in the draft that they deserved to go. The trade that brough McHale also brought Parish, for Joe Barry Carroll. He got Walton for nothing. And he picked up Dennis Johnson for a fan favorite white guy, who just happened to be a stiff.

I thought Boston picked Bird a year early (since he was 5 year guy) and waited till he graduated to sign him, or something like that. Bird could have not signed and went through the draft again. Not 100% sure.

 

[Palatine]

I thought Boston picked Bird a year early (since he was 5 year guy) and waited till he graduated to sign him, or something like that. Bird could have not signed and went through the draft again. Not 100% sure.

Yep, that's right. Bird was eligible after his sophomore year and Boston took him a ways down in the draft.

 

[hungry husky]

If my memory serves me correct, they recently drafted 'legends' Johnny Flynn, Wesley Johnson, and Derrick Williams in the top 5. All of them happen to be black.

 

[Waquoit]

I thought Boston picked Bird a year early (since he was 5 year guy) and waited till he graduated to sign him, or something like that. Bird could have not signed and went through the draft again. Not 100% sure.

Close, back then Bird didn't have to declare for the draft, you became draft-eligible after 4 years automatically. The teams knew that if you drafted him he could go back to school. Then you had until the next draft to get him signed. Bird was picked 6th. He waited until the last minute and signed with the Celtics.

 

[joober jones]

Everybody everywhere is a damn racist. That's why Enosch Wolf wears #1 and Phil Nolan wears #0. It's also why that half white/half blue guy is never seen anymore.

 

[Kitaman]

It didn't bother me, however it did remind me of an NBA dook, so yes I was bothered.

 

[Revrat]

If my memory serves me correct, they recently drafted 'legends' Johnny Flynn, Wesley Johnson, and Derrick Williams in the top 5. All of them happen to be black.

What's funny is the argument goes that they draft black players and trade them so they can say they drafted black players. It got a fair amount of radio play out here because the sports station KFAN had a field day around it. Much of it was tongue in cheek and people really freaked out about it.