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So Were We

An NBA announcer who came under fire for referring to basketball star Yao Ming (search) as a "Chinaman" has apologized and said he was unaware it was an insult, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

Steve Kerr was pilloried after he used the term during a nationally televised game a couple weeks ago. The Organization of Chinese Americans described its members as incensed by the phrase.

"I'd like to offer a heartfelt apology to all viewers, and to Chinese Americans in particular, for referring to Yao Ming as a 'Chinaman' on TNT's broadcast of the Houston Rockets game this past Monday night," Kerr said in a statement. "I made the comment very innocently, as I incorrectly believed that referring to Yao in that way was the same as calling someone a 'Frenchman', an 'Englishman' or a 'Dutchman.'"

Could someone explain to me what is wrong with what Kerr said?

#1 - 02/09/2004 11:51:54 AM - by jay

i don't see anything wrong with what he said.

but wasn't Kerr a big lanky white guy that was on the magical Bull's teams of the 90's?

#2 - 02/09/2004 12:18:50 PM - by root

Is Yao not a MAN from CHINA?

Next thing you know, someone is going to get in trouble for metioning that women's breasts interfear with their golf swings or that black men can run faster and jump higher than white men.

#3 - 02/09/2004 12:45:25 PM - by bigdeez

the terms chinaman and oriental were used to refer to chinese and asian americans in a derogatory manner particularly in the west during the 1800s. Some equate it to calling a black guy boy or darkie.

#4 - 02/09/2004 02:14:23 PM - by jay

nobody answered my steve kerr question

#5 - 02/09/2004 08:52:20 PM - by fbumg

Yes, Kerr rode the Jordan express to receive a number of NBA Championship rings.