Ignorance may be bliss for some people, but it's very dangerous when it comes to judging people. A misunderstanding rooted in ignorance, led to a wave of racist comments in social networks victimizing a Greek basketball player of immigrant descent.
It all started when Thanasis Antetokounmpo, a Greek basketball player of Nigerian descent, put on a shirt as a tribute to his brother Yiannis, point guard of the Milwaukee Bucks, the first Greek ever to play in an All-Star game last Friday.
Racist behavior is embedded in some people's mentality and all they need to exhibit it is an excuse – albeit an ignorant one
Thanasis' shirt was a tribute to his brother's nickname in the NBA, which is “Freak Nation”. When a picture of it with “Greek Freak Nation” on its back appeared online, several ignorant Greeks who though it was an offense against the country, started making racist comments on social networks.
Some of them even demanded that the state take away the brothers' citizenship immediately! Apparently they forgot that last autumn, when the brothers attended the NBA draft session and the name of Yiannis was announced, they took out a Greek flag and spread it across the screens. Not to mention that the brothers had yet to receive the Greek citizenship at the time.
To set the record straight for those unfamiliar with the NBA world, almost every rookie gets a nickname, which the team capitalizes on by creating merchandise. Yiannis was nicknamed “Greek Freak” on account of his origin and the fact that he is a very tall point guard who often dunks. As for the “Nation” part, it's common in the NBA for fan bases to be called 'nation”.
It's nothing new. Racist behavior is embedded in some people's mentality and all they need to exhibit it is an excuse – albeit an ignorant one.
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