Before the Portland Trail Blazers were abused by the Memphis Grizzlies 100-86, they had a rather controversial sign in their locker room.
The sign stated the following.
“We don’t lose to Spanish players.”
Fellow Spainard Marc Gasol was surprised to hear the news.
“I don’t know where it comes from, and I don’t know what it means,” Gasol said after practice, according to The Oregonian. “I have better things to think about than what they’re writing on the wall. They’ve had Spanish players on their team in the past. I can think of three in the recent past. I don’t know and I don’t care.”
Blazers head coach Terry Scotts spoke on the matter.
“First of all, that wasn’t the only thing that was on that [card],” Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said.
Scotts continued.
“I wouldn’t classify that as the only message of the day. But that being said, it was a motivational thing, and I think the Spanish thing was a little lighthearted. It was the things we needed to do to win the series.”
I don’t believe Portland had any malacious intent here, but when something of this magnitude gets out to the public, there will surely be some backlsh and deservedly so.
