The Los Angeles Clippers’ Patrick Patterson issued an apology after many said he referred to all Black women as “bulldogs.”
The controversy started on Oct. 26 when Patterson, who also played for the Toronto Raptors, posted a wedding photo of his wife Sarah Nasser for their anniversary. Afterward, one person said that Patterson wouldn’t have met Nasser, who’s white, if he didn’t play for the NBA.
“You grew up loving our women,” wrote the follower. “Why wait till you get some real money for your perspective and even if you wasn’t in the NBA worked at a Walmart in Toronto, you wouldn’t stand a chance … You just became another statistic. I bet she’s the only one in her family history to date a black. Stay woke my guy.”
“So I should settle for a bulldog and act like I’m happy with my life and preach ‘keep it in your race’ to the world as if Dr. King didn’t fight/die for equality, acceptance, all cultures loving one another, and no hate?” Patterson responded. “No thanks. That maybe your life but I don’t want that for mine or for my family. Color doesn’t matter. Wake up.”
From there, the social media beatdown ensued, and many accused the NBA player of hating his own race, as well as Black women.
The exchange between Patterson and the Instagram user occurred weeks ago but it picked up steam in recent days.
And in his apology, the 30-year-old said his “bulldog” comment had to do with trying to insult the wife of the person who criticized him, not all Black women. But there were a lot of people who didn’t accept his explanation at all.
“My sincere apology to the individual and his family for the cruel comments we exchanged on that day long ago,” wrote Patterson in the caption of his Instagram post.
And in the actual message he wrote: “I want to address my use of the word “bulldog” during a conversation with someone who I felt was making a disrespectful remark about my wife and our relationship,” he stated. “I responded with the same, making a cruel comment on his wife’s physical stature.”
“I know that two wrongs don’t make a right, but I let my emotions get the better of me in the heat of the moment,” Patterson went on. “For that, I apologize to him, his wife, and the rest of his family for the hurtful and crude comments made on that day.”
Patterson then denied hating his own race.
“As I did in the rest of the conversation thread multiple times, I will clarify again that I was not using the term as a reference to black women. That is not at all how I feel, but I do not need to justify to the world that I love my black people. I have no animosity or bitterness towards any race. I believe in love and equality.”
“Naw you meant what you said BLACK MAN. Stand by your words,” someone responded in the comments.
“I’m not accepting this statement sir,” someone else wrote. “You called that man’s WIFE a ‘Bulldog’ because she was BLACK. Period … You got triggered because you couldn’t tell him an answer that would actually make sense . 🙄”
“You said, ‘So I should settle for a bulldog…?’ a third person commented. “You didn’t say ‘Your (referring to the person you’re arguing with) wife is a bulldog.’ It’s not the same thing.”
“Try again with that apology,” that person added. “But this time address it to your mother, her mother and the generations of black women who came before them.”
