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Local High School Star
Mutombo and the TD Waterhouse Brawl that never happened
Mutombo nearly goes into stands
Center provoked by racial slurs, wants NBA action
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
ORLANDO, FLA. - An incensed Dikembe Mutombo was restrained from going into the stands after a fan shouting racial slurs on Thursday and said that if the NBA objects to his behavior, next time he will not be stopped.
Mutombo flashed an obscene gesture at the fan and began walking toward him when Rockets trainer Keith Jones and game official Phil Robinson intervened.
"If they didn't kick him out of this arena, he would have seen me off the court," Mutombo said. "I will not accept that. We are not in the '60s. People have paid the price for us to be where we are today. For him to call a black man a monkey in the middle of the game, he was in the second row, for him to stand up and call, 'Mutombo the monkey,' is an insult. It insulted my integrity, my body, my family, my race."
Holding his thumb and forefinger a quarter-inch apart, Mutombo said he was "this close" to going in the stands.
When asked if he expected to be fined for his gesture, he said, " If they fine me, I will go straight to the stands next time and (mess) somebody up."
Magic spokesman Joel Glass said Robinson contacted a security official who brought in police to escort the fan from the arena. The incident was turned over to NBA Security, he said.
"I want to see what the league will do," Mutombo said. "I hope they won't allow him in the arena any more. I'll call the commissioner (David Stern) myself.
"He's got no business to be in the arena. If he's not going to come and watch the game and enjoy it, the beauty of this game, the success of the league, he should not be allowed. The league is getting tougher on the player. We need to get tougher to ... the people who accuse us and mistreat us.
"Guys like Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), Bill Russell, Oscar Robinson, they don't want to see this happen to today, to our generation, what they witnessed in their lifetime when they were playing to pay the price for what we have today.
"It's sad that this is still going on in America."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/4291536.html
Although I found some of his quotes here funny, his comments on the era of Kareem and Russell strike a chord in the past racial state of the United States. We usually dont think about this side of sports, but when a respected player makes such a comment, it shines light upon a reality blanketed by camera lights.
Your thoughts?
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Apparently likes anime
I was at a playoff game when Blazers were facing Dallas and there was this obnoxious white kid in front of me that kept saying **** to Nejera like, "Go back to Mexico!" I wanted to punch the kid in the back of the head. It pissed me off.
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Dunking on everybody in the park
People like that shouldnt be allowed on Arenas and Mutombo is right he should probably be banned for life by the NBA. Mutombo doesnt deserve a fine here, he never went to the stand even though the moron deserves to get his a$s kicked.
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I was at a playoff game when Blazers were facing Dallas and there was this obnoxious white kid in front of me that kept saying **** to Nejera like, "Go back to Mexico!" I wanted to punch the kid in the back of the head. It pissed me off.
i hate dumb people =\
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Titles are overrated
I think he will get fined. Not suspended though. Wait did he even get off the court? If not im not sure hes even fined.
They fined Vernon maxwell when he got in a fight with a fan who not only was using racial slurs but making fun of the fact that his baby girl had just died. And the NBA gave him like the biggest punishment in league history at the time after Kermit Washingtons. I think he got 10-15 games and a 20 thousand dollar fine.
If Stern will fine you for going after a guy who insulted your race and laughed at your dead baby he doesnt care about Mutombos feelings in this. If Mutombo stepped into the stands even a foot I think Stern fines him.
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Apparently likes anime
I think ultimately.. regardless of what was said by the person.. you can't go into the stands. You can end up hurting children and innocent fans when you go into the stands. The NBA ill needs another fiasco like the Pacers-Pistons incident. However, I think players should be able to point out fans that are being especially unruly and foul for removal.
That said.. I still think the NBA, and American sports in general, are home to some of the more respectful fans in general. Soccer hooligans anyone?
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Football (Soccer) hooligans here in England is a major problem. I havn't really heard of much going on lately but then again I'm not a fan of football so I wouldn't really know.
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Not airballing my layups anymore
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Can we all agree to yell at these people and get them to shut the crap up or get themselves ejected when these things happen at games? It's just wrong. There should have been no fewer than fifteen people in his immediate area screaming at the guy to shut up.
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Not airballing my layups anymore
"Who wants to brawl Mutombo?"
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Dunking on everybody in the park
Mutombo didn't do anything, and that's good. He shouldn't have.
Words are just words. If you let it get under your skin, that's your fault. Sure, the guy who said them was a prick, but it's your choice how you react to those words. If you treat his words as if they don't matter, then indeed they don't.
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re:
because everyone loves and abuses freedom of speech, this is the consequence.
the law specifically states if Mutumbo and accosted someone spewing racial slurs at him, the burden of the fault would all be on him.
However, this man needs to be punished by NBA security for being a pest and a nuisance to one of the best shot blockers of all time, a devoted humanitarian, and a true class act such as Dikembe Mutumbo.
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Local High School Star
Re:
Originally Posted by PsychoWorm
"Who wants to brawl Mutombo?"
I swear to god that guy holding that baby looks like Haywire from the Prison Break series. I guess he didn't go to Holland afterall...
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Serious playground baller
that just makes me mad. I think hecklers are totally fine in games but there are just lines you dont cross as a fan and racial slurs are one of them. He should be banned from the stadium. The thing about it Mutumbo is a good guy in general and for the league for all of his community service and is definately a class act. He isn't going around spitting on people and talking trash back to the fans. So for a spectator to do that to him is just wrong.
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I don't advocate racial hatred towards anyone, however...
If someone calls you names and you beat them up at work, school, the parking lot etc, you could be charged with Assault. Calling someone names really isn't a crime(maybe you could file harassment charges depending on circumstance). You should not be punching people and expect no repercussions legally or otherwise. Even if the guy did say something like that, Dikembe would definitely get sued and lose if he punches a guy for calling him names.
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