Oakland, California - I’m back on a short trip to the Good Old U.S.A. once more, and enjoying my favorite sport’s world finals: the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) semi-finals.
Little did I know, a Tongan-New Zealander, 7-foot (2.13 m) Steven Fūnaki Adams (22), a centre on the Oklahoma City Thunder team, almost caused a racial riot the other night. He nonchalantly quipped a racial slur “quick little monkeys” comment in a post-game interview after the Thunder 108-102 upset win over the heavily favored home team Golden State Warriors.
In the opening game of the best-of-seven series in Oakland yesterday, Adams sprinkled salt on injury by referring to his losing opponents as “quick little monkeys.” Unaware of the racially insulting intonation of his comment to black American players − taken as a put-down on its face value referring to black Americans whose ancestors came from Africa − Steven Adams went from hero to a racist in one night.
RACIAL INSULTS OR POLITICAL CORRECTNESS?
Equivalent to calling Pacific Islanders “coconut heads” in New Zealand, Adams could have been hung by his ankle from the highest tree in Oakland (with a large black community). While playing at the highest level of professional basketball − five (5) years living in the U.S., including one year at the University of Pittsburgh − he should have known how sensitive black players are to racial slurs, who make up 80% of all NBA players.
Additionally, Adams who is a starting centre on the Thunder lineup, scored a 16-point, playoff game high, and grabbed 12 resounding rebounds. He has become a star NBA centre. “Quick little monkeys” was certainly an untimely mistaken characterization. Had the Warriors won, Adams would probably hailed as “sour grapes” Kiwi, rather than a racist.
Actually, black people are too sensitive, and are hung up with politically correct labels. Having lived here for over 40 years, I can’t even keep up with the numerous references we are supposed to call then by. Adams has since apologized publicly once his comments made bigger headlines in Oakland, and San Francisco Bay Area, than the game’s details.
The “N” (nigger) word is now a tabooed term to use, except between blacks as the lowest demeanor of all insults between them. Then they wanted to be called “blacks” because “black is beautiful” and was sexy in the ‘70s and ‘80s. If that was not good enough, they wanted to adopt the term African-Americans. But actor-TV personality Whoopi Goldberg snubbed it and screamed: “I am not African American. I am an American.” So what are we supposed to call them?
TONGAN CONNECTIONS IN THE NBA
Steven Adams comes from an athletically gifted family. His sister Valerie Adams is an accomplished Olympian as a double gold medalist, and four-time world champion shot-putter. Brother Sid Adams is a New Zealand Baskeball League (NZBL) player. Steven came to the University of Pittsburgh from the NZBL, and he declared eligible for the NBA draft after one year. The Thunder drafted him 12th in the first round of 2013, giving up the the remaining three years of his college eligibility.
Another NBA player of Tongan ancestry is Milwaukee Bucks 6-foot, 8 inches, 250-pound Jabari Parker, 21 years old. He attended Duke University and declared eligible for the NBA draft early as well. Parker was drafted second in the first round by the Bucks in 2014.
Like Steven Adams whose father is New Zealander, Parker’s mother is also Tongan. Parker’s family connections are linked to numerous outstanding Tongan American athletes. He’s related to PGA star Tony Finau, through his mother Lola Finau-Parker. Tony made his debut in the PGA Tour in 2014. He’s also related to American footballers Harvey ‘Unga, Hāloti Ngata, and Tony Moeaki, to name but a few.
(Sione A. Mokofisi is a syndicated columnist who writes for the Tongan and American media. He is Director of English, Journalism & Business Management at Tonga International Academy; holds a MBA from the University of Phoenix-Arizona; BS from BYU-Hawaii; AA from Mesa Community College-Arizona. But his opinions do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of this Website. E-mail: s1mokofisi@yahoo.com).