Gilbert Arenas Responds To Rex Chapman’s Claims About White American Basketball Players

Gilbert Arenas agreed with Rex Chapman's assessment of the declining role of white American players in the NBA.

4 Min Read

Credit: Fadeaway World

Gilbert Arenas responded to Rex Chapman’s recent comments about the declining role of white American basketball players. Arenas agreed with most of Chapman’s comments and added that white American players are dissuaded by their parents to play basketball, and are being coddled, unlike players in Europe.

“This is great information… We know the white Americans got pushed out of the NBA and the Euro took over white America. That’s who is the new white person. No one really explained what happened to the white American (player)… White parents were discouraging their kids from going down this road in sports…”

“Watching AAU, it’s true. I don’t know what a parent is telling their kids. When the player doesn’t play, or the coach is yelling at a player, those parents transfer… Kids are not being coached anymore. They are being coddled… That sh*t is hurting a group of people.”

“You’re taking away competitive (spirit) so they’re not being competitive anymore… When you go overseas, it’s ‘F*ck you!’. They don’t care about nothing. The coach hits you, spits on you, do all that. You learn tough skin from an early age. Here you yell at a kid too loud and he cries, trust me he ain’t coming back next week.”

(0:23 onwards)

Arenas clearly has some firsthand experience watching AAU basketball and doesn’t like how players have become soft. While players have the right to pick where they want to play, their shying away from competition and aggression from their coaches is not a good sign for those wanting to see more white American players in the NBA.


White American Players Are Rare In The NBA

Unlike years past, the white Americans in the NBA are few and far between. This isn’t to say that there aren’t talented white American players in the league. Players like Chet Holmgren, Austin Reaves, Tyler Herro, and Donte DiVincenzo are in the league and playing important roles on their respective teams.

But now, it is primarily the European white players that are finding success in the NBA. Stars like Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Lauri Markkanen have become some of the biggest names in the league, and are incredibly popular among fans.

NBA fans aren’t likely to be concerned about the white American players’ declining presence in the NBA, as the quality of the sport and players are still very high. And as things stand, there haven’t been any notable barriers to entry for white American players in the league.

Could we see a re-emergence of white American stars in the NBA? It is hard to predict, but considering basketball is more popular among people of color in the United States, there seems to be less motivation from white American families to introduce their kids to basketball.

However, nothing can be ruled out, and maybe a young white American star could inspire others to dedicate themselves to the sport and become successful in the league.

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

Share This Article
Aaditya Krishnamurthy is a writer for Fadeaway World covering the latest news and exciting stories from the fascinating world of the NBA. After briefly working as a freelance writer in the sports and business sector, Aaditya began writing for Fadeaway World in 2021 about the day-to-day functioning of the NBA.After graduating from Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts in 2020, he worked as a freelance writer for years before beginning his MA in Communications at Penn State University. Currently, he is in the United States, and traveling to his home country of India. Aside from the NBA, Aaditya is a big sports fan, with soccer, football, Formula 1, and MMA being some of his favorites to watch.
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *