It’s a surprising turn of events, the Thunder have suspended play-by-play man Brian Davis for Game 1 of the Western Conference first round against the Utah Jazz for comments made on Wednesday, April 11.
Did he just say “Westbrook is out of his cotton-picking mind”?….. pic.twitter.com/fvPZ5cTkjx
— Mark Robinson (@MarkyRobs) April 12, 2018
Many Oklahomans are upset by the even conversation of what Davis said, citing the innocence of the phrase.
Matt Pinto, the Thunder’s official radio play-by-play will step into his place.
Davis, 62, has been the Thunder’s TV play-by-play voice since the Thunder’s inaugural season.
The NBA, a place of inclusion and diversity, should not have let this get as far down the road as has. We all have grown to know Davis well. We see him within the city and he’s polite and just so. We all know that he didn’t mean the comment the way it appears. Whether you may not find it offensive, many did. The The Thunder recognize that. However, the suspension is still a surprise to many.
Dan Mahoney, the Thunder’s vice president of broadcasting, originally said it would be up to Davis to address the comments on air. However, that will now have to wait until Game 2 if that was to happen.
Davis met with players and then issued a statement through the team:
“It is with great remorse and humility that I accept this suspension for the insensitive words I used during Wednesday’s broadcast. While unintentional, I understand and acknowledge the gravity of the situation. I offer my sincere apology and realize that, while I committed a lapse in judgement, such mistakes come with consequences. This is an appropriate consequence for my actions.”
Oklahoma City is set to play the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of the Western Conference first round on Sunday, April 15 at 5:30 p.m. The broadcast can be seen on TNT and the Fox Sports Oklahoma.
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