Privileged (Utah Jazz Player Kyler Korver's Essay on His Own White Privilege)

The Players Tribune ^ | April 8, 2019 | Kyle Korver

[EdnaMode]

hen the police break your teammate’s leg, you’d think it would wake you up a little.

When they arrest him on a New York street, throw him in jail for the night, and leave him with a season-ending injury, you’d think it would sink in. You’d think you’d know there was more to the story.

You’d think.

But nope.

I still remember my reaction when I first heard what happened to Thabo. It was 2015, late in the season. Thabo and I were teammates on the Hawks, and we’d flown into New York late after a game in Atlanta. When I woke up the next morning, our team group text was going nuts. Details were still hazy, but guys were saying, Thabo hurt his leg? During an arrest? Wait — he spent the night in jail?! Everyone was pretty upset and confused.

Well, almost everyone. My response was….. different. I’m embarrassed to admit it.

Which is why I want to share it today.

Before I tell the rest of this story, let me just say real quick — Thabo wasn’t some random teammate of mine, or some guy in the league who I knew a little bit. We’d become legitimate friends that year in our downtime. He was my go-to teammate to talk with about stuff beyond the basketball world. Politics, religion, culture, you name it — Thabo brought a perspective that wasn’t typical of an NBA player. And it’s easy to see why: Before we were teammates in Atlanta, the guy had played professional ball in France, Turkey and Italy. He spoke three languages! Thabo’s mother was from Switzerland, and his father was from South Africa. They lived together in South Africa before Thabo was born, then left because of apartheid.

[relictele]

self-flagellation

[VietVet876]

Makes me think of Patsy Cline on an endless loop.

[Gil4]

Anyway — on the morning I found out that Thabo had been arrested, want to know what my first thought was? About my friend and teammate? My first thought was: What was Thabo doing out at a club on a back-to-back??

That sounds like a legit question to me. There are plenty of examples of white players facing similar questions.

As white people, are we guilty of the sins of our forefathers? No, I don’t think so.
But are we responsible for them? Yes, I believe we are.

Such BS. So we can't hold the parents responsible when kids are roaming the streets and breaking into houses or dealing drugs or shooting up peoples' houses, but I'm responsible for the actions of my great-great-great-grandfather in 1820? Never mind the fact that he was in Norway at the time...

[Deplorable American1776]

If we did, LaBron James wouldn’t have a job along with most of those players...

[MrRelevant]

Not what it says:

“This settlement is not a concession that Mr. Sefolosha was blameless in this matter and there was no admission of liability by the defendants, but in light of the gravity of his injuries, the potential impact on his career as a professional athlete and the challenge for a jury in sorting out the facts in this incident, the resolution of the case was in the best interests of the city.”

[ro_dreaming]

His privilege is because he’s rich, not because he’s white.

[utax]

I’m always interested in what moneyed white ball dribblers think. Thank God he’s going to hold all white people accountable for the horrible treatment of moneyed black ball dribblers.