Want a break from all the Giannis-as-MVP talk? The undefeated has a great article today on Gerson Rosas, the Rockets' VP of Basketball Ops and the NBA's first Latino GM. Gerson was one of two final candidates for the Hornets' GM position last year before losing out to Mitch Kupchak. I wonder how much his aborted stint (3 months) as Mavs GM hurts him in subsequent hiring discussions. I had a chat with him at a Rockets home game last year and he seems like a very cool, thoughtful guy.
Article is fine. I just dislike how the dude straight-up says he wants to see more Latinos in the NBA. Diversity matters, but when you push for a specific ethnic group, it's pretty much racism and I'm going to take it as that.
Not to turn this thread into a D&D thread, but: Is he pushing for more Latinos at the expense of another ethnic group? If not, how is that racist to want more representation? I'm Asian and I want more Asian representation in tv shows and movies. Does that make me racist against non-Asian people? No.
There's a difference between diversity and filling the whole thing up with your ethnic group. I'm a minority too, I'm never part of the majority. Ever. And I never want to be part of anything that is. But even in the companies I've worked in, top positions have always gotten filled with the "posse" of the incoming CEO. In my company, it's Indians. In other companies, I've seen H1B visas being saturated to cover 80% or more of the workforce of the entire Houston office. In your example of Asians being represented more in TV/Film, I'd say that can be done well as well as badly. I obviously would only prefer the parts when it is done well, not when they shove diversity into the film so SJWs get to spread false messages.
Just to address this more specifically, to me it seems like he wants Latinos in literally everything. He says it in the article. Front office, rosters, etc. When you're in a position of power, and you're explicitly telling me you want to fill all these positions with your own ethnic group, it sounds bad to me. Again, I'm a minority. I never push for my own ethnic group to be prioritized because of their race. If I push for anything, it's because I truly believe it is worth pushing.
Did Mr. Rosas ever say that he wanted to "fill the whole thing" up with Hispanic people? Yes or no. If yes, please post the quote.
Good for Gersson! I went to school with him and he's a great guy. All the racism talk in this thread is ridiculous.
Here's a quote that beats around that bush: I want to see Latinos in every part of the NBA: on the front-office side, on the coaching side, on the playing side, on the corporate side. What is your dream for Latinos in the NBA? To have more Latinos, give them an opportunity to grow and develop in this league, because the beauty of our league is the diversity of it. Now I did take this out of context, and he does speak on diversity and the advantages of having it. That being said, he doesn't speak on having any other kind of diversity other than Latinos. I get it, he's Latino. Well, I'm also a minority, but I'm not here to tell the whole world I want my ethnicity represented just for the sake of having more representation of my own kind. I know people who do that kind of stuff in companies that I absolutely hate, what makes him any different from them?
A simple "no" would have sufficed, but I'm glad you realize that you intentionally twisted Mr. Rosas's words. Follow up question: Where in the interview was he asked about other ethnic groups?
Gerson REALLY did not like the culture of the Mavericks and he didn't last long there. I am sure there is some concern that either he is someone that doesn't get along with everyone or is difficult. It will never be expressed, but when you are hiring an executive you consider all possibilities.
Good thing he bailed or he might have been caught up in all the bad press the Mavs' front office has been getting lately. Guilty by association and all that.
