Shaq O' Neal Under Fire for Bashing Houston Rockets NBA Player Yao Ming with Racial Slurs

The ESPN Insider and Asian Week Magazine ^ | January 10, 2003 | Chad Ford

[ewing]

Shaq O'Neal may be one of the most well liked figures in the National Basketball Association, but his recent verbal attacks on Houston Rockets 7 foot 6 inch big man Yao Ming from China are starting to raise troubling questions-is Shaq indeed racist?

Some feel Shaq's comments in his escalating war of words with Yao have crossed the line from trash talk to racial slurs.

Asian Week columnist Irwin Tang recently 'called out' O' Neal in public for several racially derogatory comments thrown in Yao's direction.

Tell Yao Ming, 'ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh,' O Neal said to a reporter recently in a mock Chinese accent.

When asked this summer how he would greet Yao Ming to the NBA, [who is a rookie this year from the Republic of China] Shaq said he would let his elbows do the talking.

'Street ball,' O'Neal commented on what would be awaiting Yao Ming in the National Basketball Association.

'Playing in the gym, shooting jumpers and all that...that's fine-But I am street.

It is about how to take a blow to the nose and make you think about what I am going to do next time down the court.'

[lormand]

"Er.. What double standard do I exactly enjoy? I can be a racist with impunity? Is that it..? I didn't really understand your first post (prolly cause it didn't make much sense)"

..another example of stupid assumptions made from an emotional response.

Just because you belong to a racial group that enjoys racial double standards, does not make you a racist per se. However, if you are OK with racial college admissions, police and fire department hiring and promotion policies, governmental programs and policies that target "minority" businessmen and contractors, the Black Congressional Caucus, Black Student Unions/groups/clubs sanctioned by colleges, paid for by ALL students, non institutionalized racism like BET, JET magazine, MS Black America etc, then perhaps YOU are a racist.

"Yeah man. Start listing all of the institutionalized racism where it benefits only Black people. And to think I have been missing out on all of these benefits...hmmmm"

Read above, apply for minority loans, contracts, college admissions etc, then ask yourself, will "lormand" or his son, have the same opportunity for these same exact things? Then ask yourself, are there any such programs geared just for White people? A martian landing on earth for the first time would see this clearly. Why cannot you?

..just telling it like it is. The truth hurts, but it remains the truth.

[Hiro Protaginast]

I love how you compare apples and oranges trying to explain this away. If you are talking to a Spainish person and trying to convey something in Spainish and mangling the words, then no, that's not racist. But Shaq wasn't talking to Ming. He was making fun of the way Asian people talk. If you can't see the difference, then you might be a dumb black boy. Now, does that last statement upset you? It should because it is a racist thing to say. Just trying to show you the double standard that you employ by calling people weak assed white boys.

[lormand]

"Hmmmm.. I think that they are a bunch of soft-assed white boys myself. Which part of that is racsist? The part where they are soft, or the part where they are white?"

Since you are Black, you cannot be racist.

[NYC GOP Chick]

I'll be back to laugh my ass off when the Lakers 4-Peat.

Won't the Fakers have to first make the playoffs in order for that to happen? :D

[Artois]

I bet you are an Enimen, aren't you? Do you wear baggy pants, by any chance?

[Artois]

Correction, I bet you are an Enimem FAN.

[GoreIsLove]

the real baby huey wasn't kevin duckworth. it was chris washburn.

[kinghorse]

Eminem or whatever his name is, is another special class not restrained by the mores and rules of the game the avg joe must subscribe to. Eminem was abandoned by his daddy and his mommy is a user and alcoholic. therefore and according to the logic that blacks can liberally sprinkle the n word in their speech, eminem can call his parents naughty words and dis the world.

bunk, but bunk sells baybee!

[Smogger]

..just telling it like it is. The truth hurts, but it remains the truth.

Oh do tell oh great purveyor of the truth! Well I happen to know quite a bit about black-white relations and racism. Quite a bit more then you then you, I think, since I am half black and half white. (gasp)

Personally I oppose racial college admissions, police and fire department hiring and promotion policies, governmental programs (ie affirmitive action policies) because they provide very little real benefit to a small percentage of African American's, and because they provide a huge target for disillusioned white men (a small percentage of which who are racist) to whine and cry reverse racism. I oppose The Black Congressional Caucus, Black Student Unions/groups/clubs sanctioned by colleges, because they support they are primarily extensions of the Democratic party, and their message is tired and irrelavent.

I have nothing against BET, JET magazine, MS Black America etc. I do not consider them to be be non institutionalized racism. As they are simply businesses with a target demographic that advertisers are trying to reach.

Despite all of the racial double standards the black people "enjoy", I still think that you would (if you ever got of your high horse and came back down to reality, which I doubt) agree, along with the 99% of Americans both white and black, that it is a much better thing to be white in the US then to be black.

[LenS]

The NBA screwed up big when Shaq first came into the league. They let Shaq shove people around AND they let people hack and bash him. If they'd cracked down on both sides when that started, we wouldn't have this situation where it's looks like an NFL offensive line out there. Shaq's got the skills to do more, but the NBA let him get away with the brute strength nonsense, just as they let others whale on him. It just gets worse each season. And very boring.

[Mr. Mojo]

The Lakers and Knicks both suck nowadays. ...A far cry from their legendary teams from the early 70's. I had Lakers season seats from '70 - '75, and their epic battles with the Knicks (both during the regular season and in the NBA championships) were probably the best basketball I've ever seen to this day ....and that includes the Celtic-Laker (Bird-Magic) matchups of the 80's. The Knicks starting 6 from that era are ALL in the Hall of Fame -- Frazier, Monroe, Bradley, Debuschere, Lucas, and Reed. No other team in NBA history can boast the same. The Lakers weren't bad either -- West, Goodrich, McMillan, Baylor, Hairston, Chamberlain (4 out of 6 in the HOF). The Knicks won rings in '70 & '73, and the Lakers got one in '72 (the year they went on to set a record for most consecutive wins by a professional sports franchise, 33. ...A record, incidentally, that still stands).

[Smogger]

But Shaq wasn't talking to Ming. He was making fun of the way Asian people talk.

Your just flat wrong! I heard the interview. I didn't just read third hand accounts of the inflammatory portions of an article on ESPN Insider. Yao Ming doesn't speak English and Shaq doesn't speak Chinese so if he is going give Ming a message it's gonna be nonesensical. And my Spanish wasn't garbled it was a nonesensical parody.

And no your statement about me being a dumbass black boy didnt' bother me. Speaking of apples and oranges, however, I should mention that there is quite a bit of difference between calling someone dumb (stupid), and calling someone weak (Likely to fail under pressure, stress, or strain; lacking resistance). So your analogy is crap.

[jaugust]

A very good reason why I don't watch the NBA and have not done so for a VERY LONG time. Players are nothing more than a bunch of hip-hop thugs playing street basketball! No game is worth watching unless it's the final two minutes and even then...

[alrea]

imagine tim hardaway taking dan rather's job some day

[alrea]

It just gets worse each season. And very boring.

hey, that's why they put the zone in. and threes again. check out the mav's zone. shawn bradley is kicking butt.

the white man is making a comeback.

[Nachum]

I love the Lakers too. Heck, I was at game 6 in the finals against the Pacers.-

It is just that Shaq just can't seem to get his huge foot out of his mouth. Sometimes he acts like he is 12 years old.

I just wish they'd all just shut up and play. First the Sacremento "Queens" remark, and now this. Sheesh.

[mrfixit514]

I bet Shaq's IQ is around 70. I wish someone would ask that retard which continent China is on? He doesn't know where he sh** last.

[VOA]

Shaq O' Neal Under Fire for Bashing Houston Rockets NBA Player Yao Ming with Racial Slurs

Get with the program ESPN/Asian Week!!!!!

Shaq has (at least) DOUBLEIMMUNITY to charges of racism.

1. He's African-American...and lots of politically-correct pundits have
educated USA citizens that only "whitey' can be racist.

2. He's a Muslim...and we know that Muslims are part of "The Religion of Peace, TM",
while all Christians are racists and intolerant pukes who kill millions of
"people of color" for sport each year.

[dfwgator]

I'll be back to laugh my ass off when the Lakers 4-Peat.

I'll be laughing my ass off when the Lakers miss the playoffs entirely.

[dozer7]

Nowdays I can not tell the difference between basketball and hockey,except hockey players seem to have fewer teeth (I see that changing). Gave up Hockey and Basketball and now just read books and play my guitar. Miss the old days-rave on street thugs I beleive I will take a vacation.

best regards

the dozer