@KingJames am I the only one who heard this guy in the crowd yell “hey Jamaican dog they want their bobsledder back! Hey @Patty_Mills Jamaica just called, they want their bobsledder back!” 😳😠🙅🏾♀️ #SundayFunday ??? @NBA pic.twitter.com/RvHdu88Gzd
— Zandra Ashley (@thats_Z_Truth) February 25, 2018
Mills was about to make a free throw while playing against the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday, Feb. 25 when the fan shouted out, “Hey Jamaican dog they want their bobsledder back! Hey Mills, Jamaica just called, they want their bobsledder back!” during the fourth quarter.
The racist comment, apparently a reference to the Winter Olympics, had been captured by Twitter user Zandra Ashley, who tagged Cavs star LeBron James as well as Mills. While James hasn’t chimed in, Mill’s teammate, Kyle Anderson did.
“Smh I was standing at the free throw line and didn’t hear ‘hey Jamaican dog’ (now I do) but I did catch the second slur smh I looked at dude in disgust,” he tweeted. “He was sitting right under the basket first row smh what a shame.”
Said someone else, “As a die hard #Cavs fan, this is totally inexcusable. That fan should be banned from the arena for life!! I’m not a #Spurs fan, but as an individual player, Patty Mills has always been a class act & has conducted himself that way. The #Spurs run an impeccable organization.”
“That guy should have been escorted out NEVER TO RETURN AGAIN!!” someone else said.
Meanwhile, others remarked on the inaccuracy of the diss, remarking on Mill’s Aboriginal Australian mother. His father is a Torres Strait Islander.
“As if we needed more proof that racists really aren’t the brightest people in the world. @Patty_Mills is Australian, not Jamaican lol,” someone said.
“Ain’t Patty Australian?” another remarked.
In response, Mills thanked Ashley and went on to stand proudly in his parentage.
“Thanks @thats_Z_Truth. I am a proud Islander,” he tweeted Sunday. “Like my Jamaican Brothers, me & my family in the islands of the Torres Strait have experienced racial slurs for decades. Hope your efforts will enlighten this confused, hateful fan. #BlackHistoryMonth.”
The Cavs are currently investigating the incident and trying to identify the racist fan, according to the Associated Press.
