Bullcrap. No more than me saying “your boy Kevin Garnett will choke again in the playoffs”.
He may not have meant it that way, but itis pretty damn well a de facto interpretation, that a white man referring to a grown black man a “boy”, even if he is an aquaintance, is a racial slur. Is it always so? no. But like your example, it’s between people who know each other, and know no malice is meant by it.
I can tell you I’ve already read Democrat talkback, calling it racism.