LeBon James brings up race when it comes to the word "Posse"

Agree with Lebron. The comment was intended to communicate disrespect. I don't know if it's a big enough deal to blow up a relationship, but that's for Lebron to decide. But, it was unprofessional for Jackson to denigrate Lebron's business people and friends and Lebron isn't being unreasonable to be offended when they are denigrated.

It definitely has a racial connotation, even if it isn't exclusive to minorities. Objections are like hearing people befuddled on why a black kid was so upset about being called boy. He's a boy right? Why should he take offense? Yeah right.

So, what, it's anti-semitic now?!??

 

I use to think that 99ers were the best people on Clutchfans

now I know that 99ers are the best people in the Universe

 

Truth be told, the only time I've ever heard someone use this word is my friends family whose name was Poss. The Poss posse. Not black even a little bit.

 

I honestly didn't know/think that "posse" had racial connotations. Does it really have the same history as "boy" like @JuanValdez says? I always thought it was just an old-fashioned way calling a group of friends.

 

Comrades?

 

Sir Mix-a-Lot is racist as hell.

 

Just spent a week and half off the grid with no internet access and the first thing i see is a 20min espn segment on this topic. Stfu with this pc sensitive crap mountain out of a mole hill. Pls someone post a YouTube compilation of all pro athletes talking about their posse.

 

Greetings comrade.

 

Good for him to engage in this and rightfully so, it doesn't matter if his position is accurate or not,he need to capitalize on social agenda like everyone else

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...van-gundy-admits-word-posse-article-1.2876547

Van Gundy said he understands how the word can be construed as having an "offensive" connotation.

"Well, it makes you all think. I think that we've all, you know, we've all got to become aware of our language and attitudes and I'm going to be perfectly honest here, I've used that word before, ok?" Van Gundy said before his Pistons took on the Knicks at the Garden. "When that all came out I had to ask myself, have I ever used that word before with a white player? And the answer is no.

"So I think, look, you have to be aware of the language, and you have to be aware a little bit of your own biases if you're going to overcome them. So I took that seriously. I understand why it's offensive. I've never used that word publicly with anybody, but I have used it just in talking to people I know and things like that. And it has never been in conjunction with a white player, so I think …at the time where you're going to call out other people on attitudes, I think you need to be willing to look in the mirror and call yourself out. I don't think I've used that term in a long, long time, but I think going back to my days as an assistant when I was younger, I know I have used that term. I'm just being honest, and it's not right."

​

 

Phil should refrain from commenting when asked about any other black person to keep from possibly offending. Just plea the 5th Phil, you can't win.

 

So... .black people can say "*****" all the time, but if white people say, "posse", they're racist?? Sounds to me as if people are selectively sensitive.

whatever

 

I know. If only white people could say that word, it would be so much more fair. Oh well, darn the luck.

 

I don't think it means that. Lebron said Jax chose that word to talk down to him, and that he chose that word to leverage the racial baggage the word has. I don't think it makes the word off-limits. I think the word is potent and people should be careful how they use it. If you use it to lift people up, no problem, if you use it to apply racial stereotypes to belittle people, that's not so cool. The distinction probably works as well for ***** and other slurs-turned-identifiers. If you use them to identify and empathize with and confirm someone else, people don't take offense. If you do it without empathy or the empathy doesn't feel authentic, you'll get flak. The corollary lesson would be: if you want to offend someone without everyone calling you a racist, you can still insult them but pick words that don't have any racial dimension to them. Phil could have called Lebron's business associates dumbasses or freeloaders. The insult would still be delivered but without a racial tinge.

 

Maybe Lebron is racist. If he had one white dude in his clique, then Jackson could have said posse with no repercussions.

 

Could he have called them ghetto? Or would that have have been racist?

How many words are we going to have to "watch out" for?

 

You make your own choices. Say ghetto if you want. You may find some people not wanting to associate with you because of the things they hear come out of your mouth. If you're fine with that, there's no problem. If you don't even think about the racial baggage on your word choices, and blithely go around talking about posses, ghettos, hoods, drank and whatever, you might not understand why people sometimes seem to come away with a negative impression of you. So say what you want but understand what it is you're saying. And if you don't know and someone like Lebron comes along and tells you, a more positive reaction might be to say, 'okay I didn't know you'd take it that way' instead of 'stop being so sensitive!'