Knicks · Jason Whitlock is no Richard Pryor (page 1)

By Kelly Dwyer

You're an NBA fan. Dissatisfied with the typical online outlets, you're coming to an NBA-obsessive blog on a Monday to read more than what the more orthodox NBA media outlets are giving you. You search and you scour for takes and columns and tweets and video and you'll do it all again come Tuesday morning. Tell me, have you ever read a Jason Whitlock column on the NBA? Do you even think to go to him when NBA news breaks?

Jason Whitlock knows this. He's also an unfunny boor with a massive ego, and the combination of those factors plus his NBA irrelevancy leads to Twitter comments like this, in the wake of Jeremy Lin's brilliant 38-point performance against the Lakers on Friday night:

Some lucky lady in NYC is gonna feel a couple inches of pain tonight.

There are funny jokes, and then there are unfunny jokes that mix with needless racial stereotyping and the laziness that comes from not even bothering to look up the fact that the Knicks would be flying to Minneapolis directly after Friday's game.

On Sunday, after much criticism and derision, Whitlock came through with an apology of sorts:

I then gave in to another part of my personality - my immature, sophomoric, comedic nature. It's been with me since birth, a gift from my mother and honed as a child listening to my godmother's Richard Pryor albums. I still want to be a standup comedian.

Don't you dare involve Richard Pryor in this, Jason Whitlock. Maybe your mother makes lame jokes all the time, but do not invoke Pryor's name. His jokes were funny. This was pathetic.

I like dark, weird humor. Michael O'Donoghue remains a steady influence on me, even as I write up posts about Dwight Howard dunking on a fake giraffe. But this, to paraphrase the least-darkest comic of all time in Jerry Seinfeld, offends me more as someone who appreciates humor than it does the ugly and needless stereotyping of a 6-3, 200-pound man. If you're going to go nasty, at least go out being funny.

Whitlock's not going anywhere, though some called for and even expected his dismissal from FOX over the weekend. The Asian American Journalists Association was more than correct in looking past the "not funny" aspect of Whitlock's noise and calling out its blatant stereotyping.

Jeremy Lin, meanwhile, went on to overcome tired legs in his fifth game in seven nights on Saturday, and score 20 points in New York's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Whitlock, per usual, will be dutifully ignored by NBA fans until he says another stupid thing about the league.

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http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/jason-whitlock-apologizes-unfunny-jeremy-lin-twitter-145934497.html;_ylt=ApS4CEGfRyhqvgrFT9JTew68vLYF

Yikes.

If we all just were amish, then there wouldn't be any other tweets than the ones from the beautiful birds high in the sky.

http://hoopsanalyst.com/blog/?p=487

Wonder if Kobe knows who Jason Whitlock is...

Because I know for a fact before the Laker game Hubbie Brown was on ESPNRadio and he said the best joke he heard was, "Who said Asians can't drive!!!"

I don't get peoples need to be offended for other people.

And getting offended that "Richared Pryor" name was used.

And pointing out that the team flew to Minny that nite.

The joke was silly. Stupid silly but not mean spirited offensive silly.

Those going after whitlock are making an name for themselves. Its bullshit journalism.

Lin's game speaks for itself.

Nalod wrote:
So a guy makes a bad race joke, and other reporters get to advance their exposure by lambasting him for it.

And getting offended that "Richared Pryor" name was used.

And pointing out that the team flew to Minny that nite.

The joke was silly. Stupid silly but not mean spirited offensive silly.

Those going after whitlock are making an name for themselves. Its bullshit journalism.

Lin's game speaks for itself.

The joke was silly and it may seem like it is not mean spirited to you or others, but ask the person who is the butt of the joke if he/she finds it mean spirited. I don't think they will find it as silly.

jrodmc wrote:"mova"...UK, a world where you can learn new words almost everyday.

Wonder if Kobe knows who Jason Whitlock is...

Now that's funny, lmao