Wizards commentator's shooting reference draws outrage

ANKARA

NBA fans look for expert insights in game commentary, not casual references to deadly shootings.

So when a Washington Wizards' commentator made such a macabre remark on Thursday, it drew immediate outrage on social media.

“You've got to give credit. Kevin Porter Jr., like his dad, pulled that trigger right at the right time,” said Glenn Consor about Houston Rockets' guard Kevin Porter Jr.

In addition to being seen as “inexcusable” in the words of at least one Twitter user, Consor’s remark also seems to confuse two different people named Kevin Porter: the Rocket guard’s father, who went to prison for the shooting death of a 14-year-old girl before his son was born in 1993, and former NBA player Kevin Porter, now 72, who retired in 1981.

The Wizards in 1995 changed their name from the Washington Bullets, due to the violent connotations of the word, especially as many young Black men – who make up a large part of NBA teams and fans – continue to die of gun violence.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored a three pointer in the last 0.4 seconds of the game, securing a 114-111 victory for his team at Washington’s Capital One Arena.

The guard, 21, has reportedly faced problems of late, as he was said to have been involved in a row with his teammates and left the training grounds on Saturday.

ANKARA

NBA fans look for expert insights in game commentary, not casual references to deadly shootings.

So when a Washington Wizards' commentator made such a macabre remark on Thursday, it drew immediate outrage on social media.

“You've got to give credit. Kevin Porter Jr., like his dad, pulled that trigger right at the right time,” said Glenn Consor about Houston Rockets' guard Kevin Porter Jr.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored a three pointer in the last 0.4 seconds of the game, securing a 114-111 victory for his team at Washington’s Capital One Arena.

The guard, 21, has reportedly faced problems of late, as he was said to have been involved in a row with his teammates and left the training grounds on Saturday.