Santos gesture can’t be ignored – Jones
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2019 07:47:09 +0000
TNT KaTropa import Terrence Jones called on the PBA to take strong action on the controversial monkey taunt of San Miguel Beer’s Arwind Santos on him during Wednesday’s Game 5 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
TNT’s Terrence Jones. (Rio Leonelle Deluvio)
Santos could face a stiff sanction from the league after performing the act with 1:05 left in the second quarter of the Beermen’s 99-94 comeback victory at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The veteran forward didn’t apologize after the game, saying that it was part of playing mind games with the conference’s Best Import.
“I don’t normally post responses to negative things said about me – but as a father and a black man, this can’t be ignored,” Jones said on his Instagram account on Thursday.
“I came to the PBA to play – and to share my talent – in a country where I have tremendous respect for its culture and its people. My son (eight-year-old Ajani Jones) is of Filipino descent. I cannot and will not tolerate racial slurs and gestures.
“They’re not only disrespectful to me but to my family and my race. I teach my son to be proud of who he is and to be respectful at all. This wasn’t the case of ‘mind games’ in athletic competition – it was racism. Period.
“Swift, significant action needs to be taken by the PBA to send a STRONG, clear message that racism in any form is UNACCEPTABLE and will NOT be tolerated,” Jones added.
Jones had been dealing with San Miguel’s psychological tactics since the start of the series, with Santos, Ross and Standhardinger among the principal figures.
But the former NBA player has successfully kept his composure, saved for a retaliation on a Ross foul that led to his second technical foul and an ejection in Game 2 and a head butt on the same player that cost him P20,000. (JONAS TERRADO)