After Enes Kanter and LeBron James went nose-to-nose, Peter Vecsey’s Twitter followers went palm to face.
The New York Post writer tweeted his take on a tense moment between the big man on the Knicks and the biggest star in basketball.
Like Kanter is gonna 2B intimidated by LeBron, guy who stood up 2 Tayyip Erdogan. Imagine him being scared of a n*****who breathes the same air as him
— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) November 14, 2017
Vecsey, a 74-year-old white journalist, dropped a rap lyric from the Notorious B.I.G. in support of Knicks center Kanter, who, in addition to not backing down from the best player in the NBA, stood up to his country’s leader, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogen.
The use of a racial slur in a tweet by a white man struck many as an instance of a journalist becoming the story. Though Vecsey relied on a black rapper’s words and not his own, and used asterisks to write out the offensive word, many questioned his standing to use such language, particularly in reference to an African-American icon.
This isn’t you quoting Biggie lyrics, @PeterVecsey1. This is you calling LeBron a nigger. pic.twitter.com/Ked3iptp0d
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) November 14, 2017
Bro….. I don’t know what’s worse, this tweet or Peter Vecsey thinking biggie says nigger instead of Nigga. https://t.co/w91ZYZweLX
— Ahmed/HabibiTheBrainHeenan (@big_business_) November 14, 2017
We thought mothers playing Farmville on Facebook was the worst thing about older people on social media, until Peter Vecsey last night.
— Shaun Morash (@MrazCBS) November 14, 2017
Others came to Vecsey’s defense, saying the Queens-born, basketball aficionado has earned enough street credibility to quote a rapper using a racial epithet (all the while relying on those asterisks).
Ah shit….you throwing Twitter into a frenzy but I got your back. I know ur pedigree & ur hood pass is valid. Paying homage to B.I.G. #Respect
— Andre Jackson ♊♠ (@DreJaxBx) November 14, 2017
LOL at everybody screen shotting that Peter Vecsey tweet assuming he would immediately delete it, yet it appears he has no intention of taking it down.
— The Third Die Hard Is The Best One (@kevinw502) November 14, 2017
Either they don’t know, don’t show or don’t care about the credibility this man possesses. Kick em in the grill Pete
— Andre Jackson ♊♠ (@DreJaxBx) November 14, 2017
Despite Kanter’s 20 points and 16 rebounds, the LeBron-led Cavaliers prevailed over Vecsey’s hometown team 104-101.
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