More importantly, though, this report looks at a sociological matter. With that in mind, here are questions we should ask each other:
Is there a differentiation between "plays black" and "is black" in the referees' minds? What about "acts black"? What happens when Jason Williams picks up Grant Hill on a switch and Hill starts backing Williams down to the basket? Did David Robinson, whose style of play and demeanor would make him appear to be terribly pale in a statistical analysis and a GQ profile, receive the same level of inequity as Patrick Ewing or Shawn Kemp?
Assuming the study's infallibility for just one moment, is 2.5-4.5% racism acceptable? The NBA is held up as a strong example of equality in sports. Men and women that are trying their level best to be impartial in this environment exhibit a few percentage points of bias. Is 3% racism the best we can do as Americans? Is that close enough? Must we accept we will always like our kind just a tiny bit more? Or is there more we can do?
Article comments
1 - The Haze
As ridiculous as this study is,the funny part is that the NBA is around 72% black,so,is the racism on the white refs making calls on black players(majority)or the black refs making calls on the white players(minority)? Things that make you go hhmmm.