Matt Barnes: Epithet OK in context
LOS ANGELES -- Clippers forward Matt Barnes said Friday he will continue using a racial epithet he asserts has become commonplace in today's culture, two days after he apologized for using the word on Twitter and was also fined by the NBA for it.
Barnes, speaking to reporters before Friday's practice session, attempted to justify the word, saying the meaning of the N-word can be derived solely by the context in which it is used.
"The word I used is a word that's used on the court, used in the locker room, used amongst my friends and family; it's a regular word to me," Barnes said. "I think my mistake was using it in a social manner, which I regret and I apologize for it. But you guys have to get used to it."
After Barnes was ejected from Wednesday's game he tweeted, "I love my teammates like family, but I'm DONE standing up for these n---as! All this s--- does is cost me money. …"
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/9981526/matt-barnes-los-angeles-clippers-racial-slur-get-used-it