• Gilbert Arenas thinks it’s time to remove an NBA franchise from Utah
• The former All-Star advocated for the Jazz to be relocated to Seattle
• Seattle hasn’t had an NBA team since their SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008
Gilbert Arenas has made a very strong statement against the Utah Jazz in a recent podcast appearance. The former All-Star is clearly not a big fan of the franchise, advocating that they be relocated to Seattle and that the city of Utah is left without an NBA team.
“They low-key need to get rid of the Jazz. The whole franchise, just tear it down. Man, move the Jazz to Seattle so we can get it crackin’…
Gotta love that this is the discourse around the Utah Jazz 🫠 pic.twitter.com/n62UX9cHby
— Jazz Lead (@JazzLead) September 10, 2023
Many people have been clamoring for a return to Seattle in the NBA ever since the city lost its franchise to Oklahoma City in 2008. The city embraced Kevin Durant as a rookie but saw him become an NBA superstar and league MVP in Oklahoma City as their franchise had been lost.
Seattle is one of the likely destinations to get a team if the NBA decides to do an expansion in the next few seasons.
Gilbert Arenas Controversial Race Remarks About The Jazz
Gilbert Arenas explained why Utah doesn’t deserve an NBA franchise, making some very strong racial remarks about the treatment of Black players in the city. He claimed that the Jazz should only be allowed to play White players and foreigners.
“Utah should be the only team where you can only play White players. Just all foreigners and White players. I don’t want to see no Black players. I know this sounds racist. If Utah was just all white, I’m pretty sure no one would say nothing about it. Because we know they’d be trash… Nobody would be offended!… and we would literally be okay.”
The two big stars on the Jazz right now are Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, funnily leaning into the narrative Arenas is proposing. The city just had Donovan Mitchell lead their team for years and also claimed Karl Malone as the best player in franchise history, so it’s clear they’ve tried building without bias.
Donovan Mitchell And Karl Malone Have Had Conflicting Experiences With Racism In Utah
Mitchell is the latest star the Jazz had, while Malone is arguably their biggest star ever. Both players had very different things to say about their experiences in the city, with Mitchell claiming he saw racism from many fans but not all fans from the city.
“It’s not every fan; it’s not everybody. But there are things that I see and here that I didn’t bring up in the interview, and I didn’t want to bring up because I knew how much it would get a reaction on social media.”
Malone, on the other hand, has defended Utah repeatedly. He’s said that racism is minimal in the city and that he wouldn’t allow fans to use racial slurs in his presence.
“I’ve been in Utah, and I’ve never heard a racial slur or anything like that. When I played in the arena, I wouldn’t have allowed it… That’s what I stand on. But Utah is my home, and I love Utah — I don’t care what you’re thinking in your mind about [racism here]. I never heard it. “I’ll defend Utah to the death. I believe all of us can do better, but all these people who talk about Utah — isn’t it amazing that all these celebrities are moving here? It’s a great place.”
Both experiences can be true, but there are examples of racist behavior from Utah fans. The treatment of Russell Westbrook by various fans over the years is an example many point to. Allegations of racism are also rife amongst fans of the Celtics, so the NBA will likely find more ways to intervene instead of just moving these franchises away.
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