Russell Westbrook and Paul George Address 'Cotton-Picking' Comments by OKC Announcer

Russell Westbrook and Paul George say they've "moved on" from the insensitive comment made by their announcer last week.

On Saturday, Russell Westbrook and Paul George addressed the comments by Oklahoma City Thunder play-by-play announcer Brian Davis, who said that Westbrook was "out of his cotton-picking mind" during the team's final regular-season game. Davis was subsequently suspended for Game 1 of the team's first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz.

"Brian has been here for a while. What he said wasn't OK. We all understand that," Westbrook said at Thunder practice. "But he definitely came in and talk[ed] to us. The team has made the decision to do what they need to do. We just have to move on from it."

Paul George backed up Westbrook's comments, saying the team has to move on so they can focus on the playoffs. "He just addressed the situation. That was it," George told the press. "That's not where our focus is right now. It happened. He owned up. He took it head on. That's for the front office and him to discuss. They did, so we move on. We move on. We got something bigger to focus on and be worried about. So again, it happened, but we'll move on."

In a statement to ESPN, Davis apologized for using the phrase, acknowledging its deep racial history. "It is with great remorse and humility that I accept this suspension for the insensitive words I used during Wednesday's broadcast," Davis said. "While unintentional, I understand and acknowledge the gravity of the situation. I offer my sincere apology and realize that, while I committed a lapse in judgment, such mistakes come with consequences. This is an appropriate consequence for my actions."

 

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