Monday, October 29th, 2012 at 9:50 am  |  86 responses

Civil Rights Activists Question Minnesota Timberwolves’ White Roster


The Minnesota Timberwolves and the skin color of many of their players has some questioning the front-office’s true motives when it comes to constructing the roster. Reports the Star Tribune: “Dante Cunningham noticed when he reported for work in Minnesota this fall that his new Timberwolves team is unlike any for which he has ever played. ‘Day One, we were all in the elevator and I kind of looked up,’ he said about a crowded ride with many of his new teammates, ‘and I was just like, ‘Where is everybody?’ Everybody, in this case, being black teammates. Come opening night on Friday, Cunningham will be one of five black players on a 15-man Wolves team that has reversed the National Basketball Association’s historical racial percentages with a roster that is the league’s whitest since the Boston Celtics teams of the 1980s. [...] ‘How did we get a roster that resembles the 1955 Lakers?’ asked Tyrone Terrell, chairman of St. Paul’s African American leadership council. ‘I think everything is a strategy. Nothing happens by happenstance.’ That strategy, Terrell and others in the black community believe, is to sell tickets to the Wolves’ fan base, which is overwhelmingly white. ‘Patently false,’ said David Kahn, Wolves president of basketball operations. He and other Timberwolves executives instead call it a coincidence of circumstance and a purposeful plan to scour the globe for the best players they can possibly obtain. They will start the season with players from Russia, Montenegro, Spain and Puerto Rico, a total of five international players among a group that also includes five white American-born players. Included is injured All-Star Kevin Love, the game’s greatest American-born white player — a vanishing species in the league — since John Stockton starred for Utah in the 1990s.”

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  • dalbertthekid

    Spaniards are white… European

  • Jz

    Then why is no one writing articles about the lack of whites on the Knicks?

  • Jz

    Why are there no white cornerbacks in the nfl! Racism!

  • http://www.facebook.com/dwayne.walton Dwayne E Walton

    They (the T-Wolves ownership) have the right to form their roster however they choose The proof will be in how well they perform over the course of an 82 game season. i would hope that Civil Rights activists in Minneapolis have more pressing issues to deal with than who is on the T-Wolves roster…

  • Wally

    How come there aren’t any caucasians in a black or latino gang? Do we have to have a quota for everything. Can’t people just be people instead of white people, black people, etc.?

  • Goat

    >Spaniards
    >Montenegrins
    >white

  • firearmofmutiny

    Minnesota sports teams are an embarrassing shot to the intelligence of every person in Minnesota.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=710646127 Lee Lucas

    Wrong city.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Bishop.SeanMagicJuan Sean MagicJuan

    Good to know that one black man’s opinion helped you ” prove what you always believed” about an entire race. Next time some white supremacist speaks, I guess I can apply his statements as the mindset of all whites.

  • John Eliopoulos

    Should we question most teams’ BLACK rosters?!

  • brownjesus

    “In regards to the way I think about my identity, race is very low in the list”

    okay Mike FROM SPAIN

  • JB

    it’s not the color of the skin, it’s the game of the player that gets a roster spot. Someone always trying to make it racial. We have a limited time on this planet…let’s get along and enjoy it.

  • George C. Roundtree

    Too Damn Slow!!!!!!

  • George C. Roundtree

    Prince & The Revolution and Morris Day & The Time could beat the Wolves with that roster. Prediction: 5 wins – 77 losses. Don’t blame it on any comment from Mr. Terrell, he’s just telling the truth. David Stern wanted all NBA rosters to resemble the Wolves roster before he left. It’s a damn shame that NBA quality players have to go overseas to play while sorry ass ESL players are allowed to play in the NBA. And the 5 wins are a stretch.
    JUST KEEPING IT REAL!!!!

  • Mike From Spain

    I heard once that racism is thinking in terms of race, that race does not really exist. I guess that we all think in terms of race, so we are all ‘racist’ in the sense of believing in race. In that sense you are right…

  • Mike From Spain

    I heard once that racism is thinking in terms of race, that race does not really exist. I guess that we all think in terms of race, so we are all ‘racist’ in the sense of believing in race. In that sense you are right…

  • Mike From Spain

    In what sense is From Spain a racial thing? You seem to be implying it… I didn’t call myself ‘White Mike’ in the same way you call yourself ‘brownjesus’ so I don’t really know what you want to point out

  • Canesta

    Reverse racism is a term which refers to racial prejudice or discrimination directed against the traditionally dominant racial group in a society. Now I’m not here cry fowl over racism, but perfect example being scholarships offered exclusively for African-Americans. If there was ever a scholarship that was for “whites” only, there would be public outrage but spin it the other way around and there’s no problem. That’s what I mean.

  • Diipp

    It is odd that the team is the “whitest” team in 30 years, this being the first year the team has had a sliver of hope since KG/Steph. Take that how you want

  • Lamp64

    Black on black crime, teenage pregnancy, illiteracy, etc..,etc…etc…A man representing a civil rights organization is concerned with how many white guys are on a basketball team, REALLY!!! Mr. Terrell please re-evaluate your priorities, I’m certain your community has bigger issues that could use your attention.

  • Tyler

    People look at race on a skin based level: black and white. In reality, there are more than just black and white in America. The article states that there are 5 international players who’s skin tones may resemble white, that does not make them white. What defines “whiteness” what defines “blackness?” Is it one’s skin tone? Or is it ones harritage? How does one associate whitness in this way? There are 5 players on this team with completely different heritages, ways of life. Just because one’s skin time is white, that does not make them white. They are Russian, they are Hispanic, they are so many different cultures coming together to play a great sport.

  • Tyler Wegrzyn

    That’s because universities (example) give scholarships to African American students who score an 18 over a white person who scores a 21 because of opportunity. That white person has the opportunity and the tools necessary for him to succeed because society in America favors the white person rather than the racial minorities who aren’t given the same opportunities. By universities picking an African American with an 18 on their ACT over a white person scoring a 21, it’s leveling the playing field. What if the tools given to the black person to succeed only allowed him to score an 18 and he does, where as the white person could have been given the tools to succeed wit a score of a 25, but only got a 21, who worked harder?

  • jpjaz

    Now the Real racist emerge.

  • Jay

    For many years, black NBA players have been called “thugs” and “criminals” by racist white fans and media. I believe that David Kahn wanted to create a mostly white team to attract racist white fans in Minnesota. Tyrone Terrel is completely correct in his assessment.

  • Jay

    The NBA has always had issues with racism and will continue to do so. I live in Chicago and follow the Bulls. I have no idea how a basketball player like Brian Scalabrine has been in the NBA for so long. He is horrible, but all the white NBA basketball fans love him because he is a “token white player” for racist fans to root for.

  • Canesta

    And what about a white or Hispanic person who “doesn’t have the tools to succeed”? Should we just forget about them? You make it sound like all white people have it easy, but that’s just not true. What are these “tools” that you talk about? In this country, we all have access to a free public education, free books, library access, etc. It’s time to stop crying and just work harder. That’s the problem with this country, everybody wants to make excuses.

  • http://www.facebook.com/cabdriver55808 Jim Madill

    If this was true they wouldn’t have picked Derrick Williams #2. I rest my case.

  • jordran

    So so excited for this new timberwolves season and all of the amazing TALENT not color

  • jordran

    This tyron terrel guy sounds more racist then anyone

  • TC Huddle

    The accusations of the Timberwolves being racist are ridiculous, but the discussion is valuable and needed. To dismiss the discussion without comment is flippant. Minnesotans should be offended, though, by the notion that a more white team would encourage them to buy more tickets. Wilbon said on PTI the other day that the Twin Cities is one of the most “racially tolerant places in the entire U.S.” This is absolutely true. These comments propose otherwise, which is offensive and patently false.

    The discussion is valuable though. Vikings punter Chris Kluwe and Wolves guard Brandon Roy had some interesting things to say about it: http://www.tchuddle.com/2012/10/too-white-a-response-to-civil-rights-activists/

  • sheriffjaybird

    My god, this is such a joke…… They have players from all over the world, but just not enough dark skinned players?????? Is this not almost racist against people w a lighter skin color? Wake up people…..

  • Blazers Fan

    The simple fact that they have an issue with the number of any color of people on any team, tells me just who the racist are. If you were a racist franchise you would lose the right to have a team and all you would accomplish is losing millions of dollars and get hated my billions of people. With all that is wrong with this world, I think there are better places to put your energy. Lets get some people to fight racism that understand what it means and actually care about the issue, not just some douche trying to make a name for himself.
    Ps, The T-Wolves are one of the most culturally diverse teams in the league you big stupids!

  • johnathon smith

    i can’t believe there are people saying that this is racist. there are about 95% of nba teams with the first string and 2nd string composed of all black guys.

  • MyLyfe

    There were articles written about the knicks. Google the 1978-79 team where they were give the nick name the new york n***bockers

  • mcmash54

    What tools are you talking about, brains?

  • johnsonrod

    Minnesota isn’t exactly the cherished home of star black ballers.

    So grabbing euros (especially hardy russians who think this is warm weather) isn’t a bad long term solution. They won’t be looking for the first flight out of town to a warmer (or blacker) city.

    And they’re competitive.

    If the going rate is 75% black players on all other teams, then isn’t this a bizarre version of reverse affirmative action? Are you really complaining that the wolves are threatening the 75% black makeup, a dominant, overriding percentage that one could (evilly) argue indicates reverse discrimination?

    Yeah, I get it, there could be implied racism with a white crowd, white state, and white players. But there is a black president who just won his second term. How about we don’t immediately scream “racist conspiracy”?

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