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On Wednesday, Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. stunned the Wizards with a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Stunning as Porter’s buzzer-beater was, it was the commentary from Wizards announcer Glenn Consor that has incensed a number of basketball minds on Twitter.
What did the Wizards announcer say about Kevin Porter Jr.’s game-winner?
“Kevin Porter Jr., like his dad, pulled that trigger right at the right time”
I can’t believe this was actually said on the Wizards broadcast.. Completely inexcusable. pic.twitter.com/bZcWEVqPOP
— Braddeaux (@BraddeauxNBA) January 6, 2022
“Kevin Porter Jr., like his dad, pulled that trigger right at the right time,” Consor said as NBC Sports Washington ran the replay of Porter’s shot.
Why was the Wizards announcer’s commentary insensitive?
As pointed out by Braddeaux in a thread of related tweets, Consor’s comments are “inexcusable,” given Porter’s father, Kevin Porter Sr., served four and a half years in prison for first-degree manslaughter in the killing of a 14-year-old girl, which, according to a witness, was the result of Porter’s semiautomatic weapon accidentally discharging.
Porter Jr. was born following his father’s release from prison, but the elder Porter perished to gun violence as he was shot five times and killed in July 2004, months after Porter Jr.’s fourth birthday.
In response, Lakers superstar LeBron James took to Twitter to admonish Consor’s commentary.
Oh he thought this was cool huh!!?? Nah we ain’t going for this! Sorry but this ain’t going to fly! How insensitive can you be to say something like this. Beat it man! I pray for you but there’s no place in our beautiful game for you! https://t.co/UgVOBUOsPK
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 6, 2022
James’ defense of Porter comes just a week after Porter spoke on their relationship, telling reporters that “Bron’s a big brother to me.”
Consor took to Twitter to issue an apology to Porter, his family and the Rockets organization, saying “I mistakenly thought that Kevin was the son of former Washington player Kevin Porter and was unaware that the words I chose to describe his game-winning shot would be in any way hurtful or insensitive.”
Who is the Kevin Porter who played for the Bullets?
As indicated in the apology, Consor’s commentary was a result of mistaken identity as there was a different Kevin Porter that was drafted by the Washington franchise in 1972, spending six of his 10 years with the team while they were known as the Baltimore, Capital and Washington Bullets.
Consor’s comments are doubly insensitive given the franchise’s history, as the team rebranded from Bullets to Wizards in 1996 due to the name’s connotation to street violence.
The Bullets’ Porter, who was born in 1950, is of no relation to the Rockets’ Porter Jr., who was born in 2000.
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