Current, former Raptors crush Chris Broussard's controversial Toronto take
It was only a matter of time before Raptors players past and present started weighing in on the ridiculous comments Chris Broussard made about Toronto earlier this week.
On Monday, the Fox Sports talking head made some odd remarks about the city, and Canada in general, when discussing the possibility of NBA superstar Kevin Durant being traded to the Raptors.
"Great city, but it's not America. And you feel it when you're there, I'm telling you. Especially as an African American. It's a different situation than African Americans are used to being in," Broussard said.
LMAOOOO this is what we're up against pic.twitter.com/o5Eu21Qbsu
— woi (@carmeIodrama) July 4, 2022
Predictably, many Raptors fans took to Twitter to express their confusion and frustration with Broussard's comments. It didn't take long for NBA players to chime in and share their feelings about the pundit's bold claims, either.
Raptors forward Chris Boucher weighed in on Instagram, calling out the longtime analyst.
Chris Boucher weighed in on Chris Broussard’s comments about Toronto.
I think he nailed it. pic.twitter.com/MjnwceVfew— Amit Mann (@Amit_Mann) July 5, 2022
Former Raptors Norman Powell and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also took some time to defend their former team and the city they once called home.
— norman powell (@npowell2404) July 6, 2022
Yeaaaa this a stretch… Canadians love you like you grew up there… he’s tripping https://t.co/l6dQA52ZXA
— R.HollisJefferson (@IAmCHAP24) July 5, 2022
After seeing the backlash online, Broussard did attempt to clarify his statement on Twitter later on Monday.
I never said Blacks are “treated worse in Toronto” than in America. Never! That’s ridiculous. I said living there is different and “not the same as living in America for Blacks.” Very diverse city. But just 8% Black. I love visiting Toronto. Visiting.
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 5, 2022
His clarification did little to convince fans, though, with some poking holes in his argument that Toronto is not a welcoming city for African-Americans.
Percent of population that’s Black:
Toronto - 8.5%
Phoenix - 7.1%
San Francisco - 5.1%
I guess we can cross a few rumoured destinations off KD’s list. https://t.co/NB75YHT344— Donnovan Bennett (@donnovanbennett) July 5, 2022
Broussard's comments came as reports of Toronto being one of the favourites to acquire Durant picked up momentum in NBA media circles.
ESPN's @BobbyMarks42 says the #Raptors are the "leader of the clubhouse" for Kevin Durant.
"For me, it's all about Toronto." pic.twitter.com/RMfWqPOprL— Adam Laskaris (@adam_la2karis) July 5, 2022
All eyes seem to be on Toronto as Masai Ujiri and Co. attempt to acquire a generational talent with the hope of contending for a championship, just as they did when they traded for Kawhi Leonard in 2018 and went on to win the franchise's first title in 2019.
While the basketball world waits for news on the Durant front, it's nice to see Toronto has plenty of voices coming to its defence.
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