Apparently it wasn’t just some fans and other teams frustrated with how things were going in Philadelphia — so were the fathers of Sixers’ players Jahlil Okafor and Kendal Marshall.
The elder Okafor reportedly had words with Brett Brown in Los Angeles about how his son was being used.
I'm behind Sixers bench, Okafor's Dad behind me - he's nonstop HARASSING Brett Brown. End of half Jah finally told Dad to cut it out.
— Michael H. Weber (@thisisweber) January 3, 2016
The elder Marshall reportedly vented on his private twitter account about what he saw as racist behavior with the Sixers, reports the New York Post.. Marshall said his black son was coming off the bench behind a white shooter who couldn’t shoot (likely Nik Stauskas).
Brett Brown tried to play it all down, reports John Finger at CSNPhilly.com.
Anyone who has watched their child play in a competitive sport knows how hard it can be to rein in emotions and comments. We all get that. But there are lines not to cross, and playing in the NBA doesn’t change that.
Meanwhile, the sons are playing the mature role of peacemakers.Marshall said he basically told his dad, who has since apologized for his comments, to knock it off.
“He’s a grown man. Obviously, it’s the wrong time and place to say it, but he said it and apologized for it. It was an emotional comment and personally I’m most frustrated not because I’m not playing, but because I’m not playing well. When I start playing better it will handle itself....”
Okafor said his father’s reported comments/actions don’t matter.
“I don’t know why you have to worry about my dad. He’s not in the NBA and he’s not on the team,” Okafor said.
Losing teams face dissension and sometimes players or their entourage — including parents at times — start looking out for themselves and not the team. It’s no shock the Sixers are facing some of that, too.
That Okafor and Marshall shut down their dads is a good sign.