Revisiting 5 most recent incidents of racism in NBA in the wake of harrowing high school "slave auction" prank

Despite being one of the most popular sports leagues in the world, the NBA still has a racism issue. The problem is so widespread that even some team owners have turned out to be racist.

News of the "slave auction" prank at River Valley High School in California shocked the nation. According to reports, football players auctioned off their black teammates in what appeared to be a prank.

Prank or not, that's not something high school students should be doing. In this article, we take a look at the five most recent incidents of racism in the NBA.

#1 Robert Sarver's racism ruined his successful business

Robert Sarver's behavior is the reason he was suspended (Image via Getty Images)

Robert Sarver is the owner of the Phoenix Suns, but he's been suspended for a year after the league investigated his inappropriate behavior. He allegedly used racial slurs in the workplace on several different occasions.

Fortunately for the NBA and its players, Sarver has been pressured into selling the team. He will no longer be affiliated with the league once he comes to an agreement with a potential buyer.

#2 Ja Morant's clash with racist fan

Ja Morant has already faced a racist fan in his short NBA career (Image via Getty Images)

Ja Morant is one of the most exciting players in the NBA. He's drastically improved in his first three years, and has turned the Memphis Grizzlies' fortunes around. They've gone from being basement dwellers to legitimate contenders since his arrival.

Unfortunately for him, he had to deal with a racist fan during his first-ever playoff game. The Grizzlies played against the Utah Jazz in 2021 and the incident occurred in Game 1 of the series.

Morant's father Tee Morant, who was in attendance, had this to say about the environment at the game:

"I know heckling...We were doing that the whole game. But that's different than heckling. That's straight-up disrespectful. That was too far out of line. You don't say nothing like that heckling. That's beyond heckling."

#3 LeBron James' experience in Boston

LeBron James isn't immune to these problems either (Image via Getty Images)

Being one of the best players of all-time doesn't make you immune to racism. LeBron James is further proof that NBA players still have to deal with racism. Heading into his 20th NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers star has seen it all.

During a July 2022 episode of 'The Shop', James said that Boston fans are "racist as f**k" at the 22:05 mark. James has been through some tough battles against the Celtics. It's no surprise that Celtics fans don't like him. However, they sometimes take it too far.

#4 Rui Hachimura's racist messages

Rui Hachimura gets a lot of hate as well (Image via Getty Images)

Rui Hachimura is another rising star in the NBA. He's been in the league for three years. The Washington Wizards believe that he could become one of the best players on the team.

Unfortunately for the young player, his time in the league hasn't gone without incident. In 2021, the Wizards big man revealed that he receives racist messages on social media almost every day.

As many are aware, Hachimura is half-black and was born and raised in Japan. Thanks to his success at the youth level, he moved to the United States to attend college and was eventually drafted by the Wizards.

His brother, Aren Hachimura, had this to say about the racism online:

"Some people say that there is no racism in Japan, but there are people who make racist remarks...I don’t think it’s a problem that can be exposed"

#5 Jazz fans and racism - Part 2

Russell Westbrook has heard all types of trash talk and heckling during his NBA career. However, he was particularly upset with the behavior of a Utah Jazz fan during his final season with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The incident caused a lot of controversy as one angle showed the Thunder guard yelling back at the fan. However, it turned out that Westbrook was provoked by racist comments. In the end, the fan was permanently banned from Vivint arena.