JJ Redick issues full apology for calling Chinese fans ‘chinks’

After initially saying that he got “tongue tied” when he wished a happy new year to “all of the NBA chink fans of China,” Philadelphia 76ers guard JJ Redick has now gone so far as to issue a full explanation and apology.

In a video aired at halftime during a Chinese broadcast of an NBA game last week, a number of NBA stars are seen wishing fans in China a happy Chinese New Year. However, when it’s Redick’s turn, he appears to use a racial slur to refer to Chinese fans.

The footage went viral over the weekend on Chinese social media after being picked up by a popular Weibo video blogger with 2.4 million followers:

https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=p05555jvdtw&width=500&height=375&auto=0

On Sunday afternoon, Redick responded briefly to the backlash, tweeting that he had clearly got “tongue tied” and that “the word I purportedly said is not in my vocabulary.”

However, this explanation failed to satisfy many Chinese netizens, who continued to flood Redick’s Twitter and Instagram accounts with angry messages. Some claimed that Redick had made a Freudian slip of sorts which showed the racism that is really inside his heart. Others simply wanted a proper apology.

Just before midnight on Sunday, Redick finally issued an apology on Twitter. Beginning by stating, “I want to sincerely apologize to anyone I may have offended,” he explained that in the video he had intended to say “NBA Chinese fans,” but had changed it mid-sentence to “NBA fans in China,” resulting in the apparent racial slur.

“I have been fortunate to play in two NBA Global Games in China (2007 & 2015). I loved the experience, the culture, the history, and most of all, the people,” Redick writes. “I ask your forgiveness. This should be a time for celebration. I am so sorry for upsetting anyone.”

Most seem to agree that this is the most reasonable explanation for why a professional basketball player would say “chink” in an official video for fans and that Redick’s apology should finally put an end to this bit of internet backlash.

However, some Chinese netizens are apparently still not satisfied:

It’s important to note that the original video was not produced by the NBA, but by Chinese internet giant Tencent, which has an agreement for digital broadcasting rights of games and content in China. The fact that those who shot and produced the video didn’t hear anything wrong with Redick’s comments has caused yet more concern on the Chinese internet.

After Chinese netizens noticed the apparent racial slur, they notified Tencent, causing the company to edit out Redick’s part and reupload the video without explanation.

During his college days at Duke, Redick was one of the best and most despised players in the country. However, in the NBA, he has done much to reform his image as an arrogant prick, becoming not only one of the league’s top shooters, but one of its most thoughtful and articulate spokesmen, launching his own successful podcast.

China’s internet warriors have certainly been busy this year, launching campaigns of viral outrage against everyone from Heathrow Airport to Marriott to Mercedes Benz to Hong Kong star Shawn Yue for hurting the feelings of the Chinese people in various ways.

Most recently, an Australian Olympic commentator was forced to clarify that when she said that all Chinese skiers “look the same,” she was speaking about their technique, not their physical appearance.

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