The bad taste left by the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ loss on Sunday afternoon to the San Antonio Spurs left even more of a bitter sensation in the waning moments of the contest. That was when Spurs guard Patty Mills, who is black and has aboriginal roots in his native Australia, was subjected to a fan at Quicken Loans Arena spewing a racial slur at him.
Am I the only one who heard the guy in the crowd yell “Hey Jamaican dog they want their bobsledder back! Hey @Patty_Mills Jamaica just called! They want their bobsledder back!” @NBA #nba #SundayFunday 🤷🏾♀️🙅🏾♀️ #wow 😡 #America pic.twitter.com/SQdeptUo4I
— Zandra Ashley (@thats_Z_Truth) February 25, 2018
That tweet didn’t go unnoticed by Mills, who later posted his own social media response:
Thanks @thats_Z_Truth. I am a proud Islander. Like my Jamaican Brothers, me & my family in the islands of the Torres Strait have experienced racial slurs for decades. Hope your efforts will enlighten this confused, hateful fan. #BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/yH3nKlGv4A
— Patrick Mills (@Patty_Mills) February 26, 2018
Mills played 35 minutes of the game, scoring 11 points and grabbing five rebounds. Two of his three field goals on the afternoon were 3-pointers and he was a perfect 3-for-3 from the foul line.
Members of the Cavaliers’ security team are currently investigating the incident and are hoping that the individual in question will be identified.
