Marcus Morris apologized for comments about a competitor being woman-like that resulted in Morris being chastised publicly by the Knicks and fined $35,000 by the NBA.
After the Memphis Grizzlies beat the New York Knicks, Knicks forward Morris said the Grizzlies’ Jae Crowder had “female tendencies.” Crowder had stolen the ball and shot a three-pointer, up 18 with less than a minute to go, SB Nation reported.
There was pushing and shoving. Morris was fined and point guard Elfrid Payton suspended for Saturday’s game in Indiana for shoving Crowder to the ground.
Here’s a transcript of Morris talking about Crowder in a SportsNet New York interview that was posted on Twitter:
Marcus Morris: “He play the game a different way, a lot of female tendencies on the court, flopping and throwing his head back the entire game. It’s a man’s game and you just get tired of it. Obviously at the end that was very unprofessional …”
Interviewer: “When you say ‘unprofessional’, are you referring to the steal at that point? A kind of a code that you don’t go for those plays late like that?”
Marcus Morris: “No, that was cool. It is what it is. But when you step back and shoot a 3 and then try to rub it in that they’re winning, it’s just unprofessional, man. His game is soft. He’s soft. It’s how he carries. He’s just very woman-like.”
The Knicks said in a statement that Morris’ words were “offensive and unacceptable” and “cannot be tolerated,” New York Post reported. Liz Cambage of the Las Vegas Aces, a professional women’s basketball team based in Paradise, Nevada, tweeted at Morris that “FEMALE TENDENCIES WINS GAMES THOUGH.”
Morris has apologized several times.
“My comments were unnecessary. I wasn’t even thinking when I was talking,” Morris said. “We have women referees, women coaches. I’m a big, huge supporter of the WNBA. I have relationships with a few female players in the WNBA. If I offended any of them, I deeply, deeply apologize.
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“I’ve had time to sit and reflect on my words,” Morris continued. “It was just unprofessional of me, man, to refer to any of that, in terms of downgrade or even feel as though I can mention a woman’s name, or anything about women referring to the game of basketball that they put their heart into, and coaching, and just life in general, man, I’m deeply sorry and I deeply apologize.”
Sports are filled with insecure people, said Harry Lyles Jr., who wrote about a “teachable moment” for SB Nation. “A lot of male athletes deflect when something doesn’t go their way or they’re angry.”
