So it’s come to this, NBA? After all that slobbery prostration at the feet of Black Lives Matter and so-called “systemic racism”? A routine in-game confrontation between a black player and a white player is cause for the black player to call the white player a “b**ch a** white boy”?

Not to nitpick, but which player was the “racist,” here?

During a Friday night game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks, Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell and Dallas Mavericks Slovenian star Luka Doncic got into a heated exchange — NBA players getting into heated exchanges is not news — which ended with Harrell calling Doncic a “b**ch a** white boy,” as the players transitioned to the other end of the court.

Did I mention that members of both teams were wearing “social justice” messages on their jerseys? Wonder why those didn’t work?

Outkick columnist Gary Sheffield Jr. said the NBA must take action against Harrell — which I’m going to go out on a limb and predict will happen “not in a million years.”

Nonetheless, Sheffield called for Harrell’s suspension.

“The solution here is simple, even if many won’t like it: the NBA has to suspend Montrezl Harrell and send a message that race-based derogatory comments like his on the basketball court won’t be tolerated. The NBA has already set this precedent with gay slurs on the court, why not with racial-based insults as well?

“Montrezl Harrell’s comments have already spawned a million “If the races were reversed” conversations on social media and there is no doubt that if Luka had referred to Montrezl Harrell as a “bitch ass black boy,” that the social media condemnation would have rained down from the heavens on Luka. In fact, Luka would probably be suspended for the remainder of the season. He would be crushed, a social pariah in all of sports.

“There’s no doubt that the reaction to Harrell is far less condemnatory. At least so far. Which is why the NBA needs to act and explain that equality isn’t just a slogan on LeBron’s sneakers, it’s a way of life in the league going forward. Suspending Harrell would send a powerful message to everyone in the NBA and to all sports fans as well — we have one standard in this league for all players, race-based insults aren’t permitted.”

Period.

"B!tch a$$ white boy”

– Montrezl Harrell to Luka Doncic pic.twitter.com/tlzxIFOerz

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) August 22, 2020

Sheffield is right, of course — on multiple levels.

If the roles had been reversed? Banner news from coast to coast, beginning with CNN, MSNBC, and every other liberal news outlet in the country, histrionically wailing about “systemic racism” and “white supremacy,” and demanding that Doncic be tarred and feathered and shipped back to Slovenia on the next flight out of town.

Furthermore, the NBA’s bend-over-backwards prostration before the altar of Black Lives Matter and so-called “systemic racism” in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death has angered fans of of all colors. To ignore Harrell’s inexcusable racist conduct would only serve as gasoline on the already raging NBA fire of blatant pandering.

Former NBA player Jay Williams, now an ESPN host, shared his thoughts in a video posted to Twitter. Williams understands that trash talk is common in the NBA, but said Harrell was over the line.

I am no lip reader, but damn, Trez, damn, Montrez. I can only imagine if Luka Doncic had something like that to you, and it got caught on tape. I can only imagine during Black Lives Matter how much of a big deal that would have been, considering today’s climate and state.

It would have been a massive story.

Luka would have lost all credibility in this space; everybody would have been commenting on it. People would have asked LeBron about it, people would have asked [another player] about it. Everybody would have had some kind of statement about it, but it’s not that big of a story because Trez said it to a Caucasian person.

It should be a big story because it’s not acceptable, man.

And look, I’m a hooper, I talk trash, I’ve cursed people out. We can get into the nuances of whether that’s right or wrong too, but what you said, when you’re involving race in it—and I’ve heard people say this back in the day during basketball scenarios and playing hoops in inner cities, I still didn’t find it acceptable then. I don’t find it acceptable now.

[…]

Get lost in your battle, man, but don’t get lost and say things like that. You don’t need to say things like that, Trez. Make your performance speak for itself; you can talk trash in different ways. You don’t need to say stuff like that. Now, I’m no lip reader, but I know what I saw come out of your mouth, man.

We don’t need that in today’s game, especially with everything that we’re fighting for as it relates to equality. Even if you do get lost in your emotion, not acceptable. Not acceptable.

Regarding the @dallasmavs @LAClippers game last night & the words we all know that came out of Montrez Harrell’s mouth.. pic.twitter.com/pLfZ1ryfll

— Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams) August 22, 2020

William could not have been more spot-on — but to paraphrase Hillary, what difference will it make?

Incidentally, I took a quick look at Harrell’s Twitter account to see if he’s made any comments about the incident and subsequent fallout, and found zero. But I did see this:

This for you MA!!!!! IM DIFFERENT BELIEVE THAT!

— Montrezl Harrell (@MONSTATREZZ) August 10, 2020

I’m sure your Ma is proud of you pic.twitter.com/IyfwLVx7nz

— Kathlene Subade (@kmg1313) August 22, 2020

Cheap shot? By me, I mean, for including these two tweets in my post?

No — I did so to make the following point.

I don’t know Montrezl Harrell and I certainly don’t know what’s in his head or his heart. By virtue of his tweet to whom I assume to be his mother, he appears to be a respectable guy.

That said, Harrell needs to step up and behave like the “different” man he told his ma he is, and offer a public apology to Doncic. For “extra credit,” he should reiterate the point made by Jay Williams:

“We don’t need that in today’s game, especially with everything that we’re fighting for as it relates to equality. Even if you do get lost in your emotion, not acceptable.”

So how will the league respond? Again, I’ll go out on a limb and predict it will do nothing — or next to nothing — out of cowardly fear of undoing all of the BLM prostration it has lowered itself to, to date.

Conservative radio talk show host Larry Elder summed it up, perfectly.

ATTN: @KingJames, @SteveKerr & Coach Popovich,

Black NBA Player Calls White Player 'Bitch Ass White Boy'

WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE? Will @NBA mandate sensitivity training against "black racism"? What If Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic Wore "White Lives Matter"?https://t.co/FUimoSQ1gH

— Larry Elder (@larryelder) August 23, 2020

And if the league does take action against Harrell? Particularly with a meaningful suspension and a hefty fine? Why, that would be “systemically racist,” wouldn’t it?