Jason Williams incident

[djb]

Williams Accused Of Slurs
Fan wants apology from Kings guard

Brad Weinstein, Chronicle Staff Writer

A Warriors season-ticket holder is accusing Sacramento's Jason Williams of shouting racial and anti-gay slurs at him and other fans sitting behind the Kings' bench during a game Feb. 28 at the Arena in Oakland.

In a letter obtained by The Chronicle and addressed to NBA commissioner David Stern, among others, Michael Ching of Santa Clara wrote that Williams called him a "slant-eyed mother --" and said: "I will shoot all you Asian mother--. . . . Do you remember the Vietnam War? I'll kill y'all just like that."

Ching said Williams pretended, with his hands, to shoot a machine gun and imitated the sound the weapon makes.

Williams' rant began about midway through the first half when Ching said he told him, "Get used to sitting on the bench." According to Ching, the third- year point guard responded, "Are you gay? Are you a fag?"

Speaking last night from Phoenix, where he is watching spring training, Ching, 39, said Williams' words and actions "were astounding and beyond comprehension."

"Either this kid is really a racist, or he just doesn't have a concept of maturity yet," Ching said. "Since he hasn't (apologized), that tends to tell me he's really a racist. To direct those things not just to me but to our entire section, that tells me that he meant it.

"I have a lot of friendly chatter with the players from opposing teams, and it's always about basketball, never anything derogatory. I've never had a negative reaction from a player or anything that has even been close to this."

The Kings yesterday referred all questions to general manager Geoff Petrie, who did not return a phone message left at his office.

Ching's letter, dated March 1, also was addressed to Warriors owner Chris Cohan, general manager Garry St. Jean and vice president of business operations Robert Rowell; Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof; and NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik.

Joe Maloof called Ching on Monday, apologizing on Williams' behalf and inviting the Warriors' fan to a future Kings game in Sacramento. Ching said he appreciated the gesture but told Maloof he wanted to hear contrition from Williams.

"He needs to be held accountable," Ching said. "If he's not going to apologize, people need to know that, too. That's more important than any fine or suspension by the NBA."

Ching said he voiced his concerns to Rowell the night of the game. The Warriors then reported the incident to the league.

Thirteen days after the Kings' 122-101 victory, the NBA fined Williams $15, 000 for cursing at fans. League spokesman Brian McIntyre said yesterday the matter is closed.

Williams, 25, who was suspended for the first five games of the regular season for violating the league's anti-drug program, also was fined $10,000 for comments to fans after the Kings' 82-79 loss Nov. 29 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

"People say all types of things to me, curse words, talk about weed, everything," Williams told reporters in Sacramento earlier this week. "They can get personal with me, but I can't get personal with them, I guess. Hopefully, I'll learn my lesson one of these times."

Source: Williams Accused Of Slurs

[Evilmav2]

Man, that's harsh... It sounds like Williams has some real problems...

[Hales233]

I don't feel bad for that moron Mr. Ching at all. He can dish it out, be he can't take it?? I'm sure that's just how he said it, "Get used to sitting on the bench." In a nice, calm voice.

I don't agree with Williams using racial slurs, but this Ching guy sounds like a tool. He's a rich guy who wants some attention. I like the part about "he's currently in Phoenix watching spring training." Typicl loser rich guy who thinks he can get anything he wants.

[scooterj5]

He had it coming. I'm sure he would have been saying more than "Get used to sitting on the bench" as well. But Jwill didn't need to get that angry.

[djb]

Dude there's a HUGE difference between heckling someone and shouting offensive and graphic racial slurs like that. Talking about killing people (especifically based on race) is also incredibly tasteless and stupid. If a Jewish guy was making fun of you, would it be ok for you to say you'd slaughter and gas his people like they did during the Holocaust? What about calling a black guy a n_gge_? And if you read the article, it says that Williams was directing his comments at the entire section.

[Hales233]

i read it allright...how come you didn't seem so angry when Iverson was calling all of the Pacer fans fag*ots?

[djb]

I never heard of that incident. Still calling someone a "faggot" is far tamer than calling someone a n_gge_ or talking about killing them. Geez how do you guys feel about the KKK? I know a lot of people probably use the words fag and faggot quite liberally, usually just as a negative put-down. It's not right, but based on the context, it's nowhere near as bad as racist statements. There's a fine and distinct line between crass behavior and obscenity.

[Hales233]

if you're insinuating that because i happen to be a white male that I am a member of the KKK or practice what they preach, that is ridiculous. I despise the KKK and all of their teachings, i was simply offering up my opinion of the situation. i clearly stated that williams should not have made racist remarks.

next time a situation like this comes up, i will keep my mouth shut for fear of offending oversensitive people.

[djb]

I wasn't insinuating you were affiliated with the KKK! Geez..I was asking how YOU felt about them in general. You seem to think that shouting racial slurs and deragotory remarks isn't that much worse than a common insult. This isn't a case of being overly sensitive or easily offended. What Williams said and did was highly offensive (it actually crosses into the realm of obscenity) and should be considered as such by any level-headed individual. No matter what that fan said to him, Williams should NOT have said or did those things. Personally, I don't think the fact that he's a public figure has anything to do with it (though some may argue he needs to watch what he says based on the fact that he's under heavy public scrutiny due to his star status). The guy's complete trash. Even in the heat of the moment, I couldn't possibly fathom a need or desire to bring up racist shit like that.

Oh and remember the John Rocker incident? That was pretty bad but at least he didn't talk about killing all the Jews, Blacks, and Gays.

[Hales233]

Jason Williams is a lot less harmless than that *%*% John Rocker.

[Evilmav2]

I don't consider myself to be an oversensitive type, but I do think that the use of violence tinged racial slurs really steps over the line...I thought that the Rocker comments in Sports Illustrated were a little overblown, and I don't think that Rocker really meant to do anything but poke fun at NY. He may have some unpolitically correct views about various things, but I don't think that he was the hatred spewing monster that the media tried to portray him as. The comments of Williams are completely different in my opinion. He might as well have called a black fan heckling him that he was a dirty "nigger" and that we should ship him back of Africa (I am not saying this- just making a comparison). He could just as easily have called a Jewish fan a "Kike" and say that Hitler should have finished the job. Comments like these far surpass uncomfortable racial references like Rockers, and really step into the repugnant realm of racial hatred... That Williams feels he can get away with saying something like he did speaks volumes about his lack of maturity, and his apparent moral bankruptcy... Again, I do not feel that I am being oversensive about this- his comments are completely out of line and indefensible... Also, Iverson was replying to fans who were calling him a "nigger" and were saying things about his mom. In my opinion his "faggots" comment was precipitated by an angry situation, and by out of control fans. I saw a lot of Indianapolis coverage of this incident because I live in Bloomington...

[djb]

I agree with you whole-heartedly Evilmav2. Rocker was stupid for what he said, but the Williams comments completely overstepped the boundaries. There's a huge difference between vulgarity and oscenity..and my law profs made sure we all understood that.

[Hales233]

why don't you guys nominate Rocker for President...that would be cool

[djb]

Uhh did I ever say I agreed with Rocker's comments? I guess my calling him stupid wasn't clear enough.

[Hales233]

the fact that you think JWill is a worse human being based on one incident is stupid if u ask me

[The Crippler]

hales, obviously you are a kings fan, but for you not to be able to see that what williams said was disgraceful, that blows my mind. I can't believe that you actually would take j.w.'s side on this. Don't let your love for a sports team cloud your judgement of what's really right.

Ching's a dork, William's is a fscking idiot.

If someone throws a pebble at you, you don't take a gun out and shoot them.

Doesn't anyone know anything about name-calling anymore? You tell a person that
his mama is so fat ...

I think the art was lost after elementary school.

I am rubber you are glue...

[Hales233]

Crippler,
For the 50th time I said what JWill did was wrong, but I also think that the dude who started the verbal war between the two shouldn't get off scott free.

I do like the Kings, but I'm not a particularly big Jwill fan, I prefer to see Bobby Jackson run the point. So that has nothing to do with my views on this issue.

[djb]

I agree that Ching should've kept his mouth shut, but even still, there's no way you can POSSIBLY defend Williams' response or say he was provoked into saying and doing that.

[Hales233]

JWill shouldn't have said what he said, kinda like you shouldn't have said what you said at the top of the article about "your boyz coming to get him."

Oh wait, you edited your message and took that out?? Wow, payback's a bitch eh DJ??

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

your judgement may not be that great either

[djb]

Yea I posted that cuz I was madd pissed. I've since taken it off after thinking about it more clearly. Whatever the case, I've said what I've wanted to say so I'm gonna lay off now. This is a free country and if some people don't have a problem with racism, then there's not much I can do about it.

[Hales233]

How many times do I have to freakin' say I'm not a racist?? Stop skirting around the damn issue, if you think I'm a racist, say it to my face.

Secondly, it's kind of ironic how similar your actions were to JWill's...you both overreacted a bit i'd say.

I DONT THINK JWILL'S COMMENTS WERE APPROPRIATE....PERIOD!!!!!!!!

[djb]

My overreaction to a racist: I'm gonna kick his butt (how serious do you think I was being?). Not a very wise or mature thing to say nonetheless.

His overreaction to a heckler: You slant-eyed mother -- ..I will shoot all you Asian mother--....Do you remember the Vietnam War? I'll kill y'all just like that. BANG BANG BANG!

[djb]

And NO I don't think you're a racist Hales.

[Hales233]

has it been proven he said these things? has he admitted it?

[djb]

All I know is what's been written in that article. If Ching's lying, then he's a moron. But why would he go through the trouble of writing to the Maloofs, Chris Cohan (Warriors owner), Garry St. Jean, and Russ Granik among others? Since Maloof bothered to call Ching and apologize on Williams' behalf, then there must be some truth to the story. Finally, this isn't the first time Williams has been involved in an altercation (verbal) with fans.

[djb]

Ok from what I've read (which may or may not be accurate), Ching and some of the guys sitting next to him were heckling Williams pretty bad. So with that, I don't blame Williams for lashing out. However, he should NOT have said the things he did. A "Shut the f*ck up!" would have sufficed. Even though he didn't "start" the verbal altercation, he shouldn't have reacted the way he did. His words and actions were thoughtless, immature, and highly offensive. The NBA fined him $15k and the Maloofs publicly apologized, but JWill needs to accept responsibility for his actions and apologize.

[Hales233]

It wouldn't surprise me if there were some racial jabs being exchanged on both ends.

[Strago]

Hales, sorry man, but your arguments are lame.

Basically you are saying what JWill did was wrong, but understandable. News flash – his action was inexcusable. I’m the least political correct person out there, but even I can see when a guy mimics a machine gun and say ‘I will shoot all you Asian mother*’ is reprehensible.

How many NBA games have you been to? Fans heckle the players all the time. It’s called home court advantage. You, as a fan do all you reasonably can to psych a player out. It’s no different than bringing signs or banners insulting the opposing teams or when fans waive streamers in unison to distract a player during a free throw. Most players are mentally strong enough to ignore the fans' antics.

The league investigated the incident and fined JWill 15k, so I'm inclined to believe it happened. Ching may be a loud-mouthed dork, but he didn't shout racial slurs to initiate the incident - he would have been mobbed. Iverson was flat out lying when he said Pacers fans were throwing the n-bomb at him. If a fan shouts racial slurs at the players in an earshot of other fans, then that fan will get jumped. Trust me, I seen it happened. I don’t know if JWill is racist or not, I don’t know what is in his heart. I can only judge from his actions, and his actions don’t look favorable upon him.

Just my 2 cents.

[Hales233]

Wrong. If they were calling JWill "white boy" or anything like that nobody would have done anything about it. It's a double standard.

Uhmm that's got to be the dumbest logic I've ever heard. Also, all reports have stated that Ching didn't say anything racial.

"white boy" sure sounds a lot worse then slant-eyed mother fucker (am i allowed to say this?). yea and i dont recall hearing any reports that ching threatened to kill all the white people.

[Hales233]

were you there?? NO...so SHUT UP.

It is a total double standard. Black comedians can make fun of white people, but if a white comedian made fun of blacks, there would be a riot.

are you stupid or something hales?! ching was heckling williams cuz of the way he plays. read the freakin article and go talk to some people from the bay area who listened to all the radio coverage! if a black guy goes up to you and says you suck at bball, and you answer by calling him a no good dirty nig*** whose people should be killed and beaten just like in olden times (when slavery was big), does that make you right? by your logic, it would. are you sure you're not part of some white supremecist group or soemthing? your replies are so pathetic. all the other guys replying to this thread write detailed, lengthy, and logical explanations of why jwill was wrong, and you respond by typing pathetic one line excuses based on EXTREMELY IMPROBABLE "what if?" circumstances.

oh and like that guy said above, dont you think if ching was making racial remarks at jwill, the white guys around him would get pissed off and have him kicked out? think about it moron! why would the maloofs PUBLICY and PERSONALLY apologize and why would the nba fine him $15,000 if he weren't to blame?!! answer that! players get fined $5k for throwing punches and getting kicked out of games. the nba fined jwill THREE times that amount. if you're not understanding all this, then you're either an idiot, in total denial, or a racist. im not saying you're a racist, but you're obviously one of those three. i live in oakland so i've heard all this crap on the radio and i know what im talking about.

[Hales233]

it's a double standard....'nuff said.

yes it's a double standard. hecklers can make fun of a way a guy plays, but the player has no right to bash his race, shout racist insults, and threaten to kill his people. that's so unfair.

oh and before i sign off, everyone notice hales' newest nugget of wisdom. it's so long, so logical, and so full of reason, it's surprising why no one else agrees with him. this isn't worth my time.

[Evilmav2]

I would not hesitate to talk sh*t to anybody throwing around "white boy" slurs in the crowd. I would also not take kindly to Williams' slurs or the alleged comments of Pacers fans to Iverson, if I were seated anywhere nearby at those games. That kind of thing is not something that deserves any respect or condoning... Of course other fans might be irritated at me standing up for most games and generally being a loud drunken buffoon, but that is more respectable than mindlessly attacking others about their ethnic heritage... Additionally, I am about the least politically correct, sensitive guy you will ever find- I just don't like obnoxious racial attacks being thrown around...

[Hales233]

anonymous can't even take the time to register a damn screen name

wow what an incredibly relevant post. u must be running out of lame excuses.

This is the absolute last time I will address the issue for morons such as anonymous.

I do not approve of what JWill said but I think the guy who started the argument should be held accountable as well.

The double standard I am speaking of is simple: Chris Rock can talk about the differences between blacks and whites, but I can't. Don't get me wrong, I think comedians like Rock are hilarious, but it is a double standard, any way you cut it.