Simmons to Fight Racism, Says He Was Called N-Word as Child
In an interview before the opening game on Wednesday for his team, NBA Philadelphia 76ers players Ben Simmons said Crown Casino had profiled him, referring to an accident in August 2019.
Simmons Will Fight Any Form of Racism
NBA ace Ben Simmons doubled up on his claim that Melbourne’s Crown casino had racially profiled him, and his friends, in August 2019, refusing entrance to members of Simmons’ group in the property without ID. What provoked Simmons at the time was the fact that all ‘white members’ of his group were let through without checks whereas he was asked for one.
The player went on to social media, including Twitter and Instagram to vent his frustration and argue that Crown Casino had intentionally and knowingly profiled the men because of the color of their skin.
Crown immediately denied the allegations arguing that security checks were necessary and within the privileges of the security staff. The staff only stopped Simmons as they believed at the time that he might be underage. Simmons tweeted this on August 6, 2019, describing the situation:
The player immediately received support from fans while others suggested that he had reacted harshly to a routine ID check.
Simmons Sticks to His Guns, Argues Crown Profiled Him
The Philadelphia 76ers player – and the highest-paid Aussie athlete – reiterated his positions in a recent interview ahead of the NBA Season opener game for his team. Simmons felt that his upbringing had to do with his objections to that situation. At the time, the player argued that ‘white members’ of his group were not checked.
Despite the insult he felt he received, the athlete is still coming to help his native team in the 2020 Olympics. Simmons repeated the words of his father, Dave Simmons, an NBL star:
Never take that from anybody. Never let anybody be racist towards you or make you feel a certain way, because it’s not right.
He has been called the N-word on occasion growing up in the United States, but he also learned the importance of standing up. Simmons said that he was happy to have been able and bring awareness to the case as it was his conviction that ‘everybody should be respected and treated equally.’
Simmons said that it was his dream to help Australia win a medal during the Olympics and he would do his best to achieve that. He also noted that his American lifestyle might have been what provoked people back home: ‘I think people get a little twisted and confused because my accent isn’t as strong as some words I say that sound Australian. I live in America. I wear diamond chains.’
While the Olympics are still a little far, Simmons led a strong game for the 76ers on Wednesday, October 23, defeating the Boston Celtics.
As an avid follower of sports and the newly recognized industry of esports, Heidi uses her expertise to help the team push out the best sports content. She is also continually learning more about the gambling industry in general and pushes out a variety of content.
