New York Knicks’ Marcus Morris has been criticized for making sexist comments about Memphis Grizzlies player Jae Crowder. The comments happened during an interview with Morris, where he negatively compared Crowder’s skills to a woman’s.
30-year-old Morris became a professional NBA player in 2011 when he was drafted by the Houston Rockets. He then moved around from the Phoenix Suns to the Detroit Pistons to the Boston Celtics until finally joining the New York Knicks last year. So far, he’s played one full season for the team. However, despite his skills on the court, Morris has been called out after he made questionable comments about another player, opting to use sexist remarks as a form of criticism. Now, he’s facing backlash - not only from fans, but the internet as a whole.
While being interviewed by SportsCenter, Morris commented on the fact that he thought Jae Crowder behaved unprofessionally during a game between the Knicks and the Grizzlies. He criticized Crowder for rubbing “it in that they’re winning.” He then added that Crowder’s “game is soft,” before calling his behavior “very woman-like.” In response, one Twitter user addressed the fact that, while the primary focus of the NBA at the moment is surrounding the recent death of Kobe Bryant, as well as how proud he was to be a “girl dad,” Morris is acknowledging women in a negative light. Check out the tweet and the interview below:
Following the backlash, Morris tweeted out an apology, saying that he has “the utmost respect for women,” and that his response happened in “the heat of the moment.” He then followed his apology with another tweet that mentioned the fact that his mother had reached out to him after the backlash, telling her son that she loves him and that “she raised a great man.” Still, several comments responding to his initial tweet elaborated on why saying something so derogatory in “the heat of the moment” is not a good enough excuse.
The general zero-tolerance policy surrounding sexist remarks has doubled down in the wake of movements like Time’s Up and #MeToo. It’s helped raise awareness surrounding the systemic nature of the gender inequity landscape at large, but it’s hardly been a cure-all. Morris might have taken accountability for his actions by issuing a public apology, but it’s moments like this that prove there is so much more work to do and awareness to raise before the collective point of view surrounding gender as a whole finally evolves and casual criticisms don’t incorporate something as offensive as sexist remarks.
More: Even SPIDER-MAN Used To Be Sexist in Marvel Comics
Source: ESPN, Marcus Morris
