Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder began his Friday morning remarks to reporters by noting that the previous night, the NBA’s coaches had a meeting in which “the topic was not COVID, it’s not the bubble, it’s not basketball … it was social justice and racism. … There’s a resolve to keep this issue and conversation alive and in our minds.”
Just two minutes later, Snyder was answering a question about Jazz two-way guard Justin Wright-Foreman retweeting a social media post supporting anti-Semitic comments made by actor Nick Cannon.
Wright-Foreman subsequently appeared before the media Friday to address his since-deleted retweet.
“First and foremost, I would like to apologize for my retweet. I wasn’t educated enough on the topic,” Wright-Forman said. “And therefore, I just want to say that I apologize. I do not mean to offend anybody. And those are not my beliefs and values. And I just want to once again say I apologize.”
Cannon recently hosted an episode of his “Cannon’s Class” podcast featuring controversial hip-hop star Richard Griffin, aka “Professor Griff” of the rap group Public Enemy. During the podcast, talk turned to various anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, including about the famed Rothschild family and how Jewish people control the media, support of the teachings of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan (who is considered anti-Semitic by the Southern Poverty Law Center), and how Jewish people have stolen Black people’s identity as the “true Hebrews.”
ViacomCBS subsequently fired Cannon from his “Wild ‘N Out” television show, though he remains the host of FOX’s “The Masked Singer.”
And though Cannon has since issued an apology — “I extend my deepest and most sincere apologies to my Jewish sisters and brothers for the hurtful and divisive words that came out of my mouth” — many have spoken out in support of Cannon’s original comments.
Among them was a post from the Twitter account “@zdg__” which stated, “Nick cannon said nothing wrong. Everyone just sensitive and hates the truth.”
It was that tweet that Wright-Foreman retweeted.
He claimed Friday he was unaware of the broader context it encompassed.
“I wasn’t knowledgeable of what he had said or what he meant by it. So I guess, I was scrolling and did this by accident. I apologize,” Wright-Foreman said. “Like I said, I didn’t mean to offend anybody by the tweet. I didn’t mean to make anybody feel any type of way. And I apologize again.”
Snyder said he’d met with Wright-Foreman — who split the season between the Jazz and their G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars — and that they’d had a conversation about it.
“I think he’s very aware, painfully aware that he made a mistake. And I think it’s something that he’s remorseful about. It won’t happen again,” Snyder said. “And again, the issue of education for all of us is paramount and in the forefront of our minds, and I know it is Justin’s as well.”
Snyder did not say if Wright-Foreman would face any type of punishment from the team.
Follow @tribjazz