“Where’s the fat black kid?”: Etan Thomas adds to George Karl’s racism complaints after recalling comments on Robert Traylor 

George Karl is at the centre of attention for controversial reasons as former Sacramento Kings assistant coach Nancy Lieberman shed light on Karl’s racist tendencies. Former NBA player Etan Thomas has added his first-hand experience to the conversation.

In an Instagram post, Thomas recalled a disturbing remark Karl had made to the late Robert “Tractor” Traylor:

“Where’s the fat Black kid? Is he somewhere eating some chicken? Is he somewhere fat and greasy? Get his fat butt out here so he can run some of that chicken grease off

“I heard George Karl say that to Tractor Traylor with my own two ears,” Thomas’ Instagram graphic read.

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Thomas doubled down in his caption, claiming that Karl’s ill repute among former players and staff is justified.

“George Karl @coachkarl22is exactly who multiple former players always said he was,” Thomas captioned her Instagram Post.

Despite his status as one of the most accomplished coaches in NBA history, Karl has faced repeated criticism from former players. Notably, Carmelo Anthony has publicly called out Karl’s questionable conduct.

Nancy Lieberman calls out George Karl’s racism

George Karl reportedly created friction with many players during his coaching career, including DeMarcus Cousins.

In a podcast appearance, Nancy Lieberman shared that Cousins had wanted to fight Karl on multiple occasions, revealing details from her time as part of Karl’s coaching staff with the Sacramento Kings during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

During the same conversation about Cousins and Karl’s tumultuous relationship, Lieberman also claimed the coach was among the most racist people she had encountered.

“There were two times in the locker room [Cousins] tried to beat up George Karl," Lieberman said. "And that's why he's not given a chance. 'Cause that coach's circle? It is no joke. ... I thought George was one of the most racist [people]. I sat in the meetings. It was unbelievable. Ask him out. Come out."

Cousins has often praised Karl’s basketball intellect, but he maintains that the rest of the package isn’t worth it.

“Incredible mind, he’s just the worst coach,” Cousins said on All The Smoke podcast five years ago. “It’s just everything that comes with it.”

Karl’s tenure with the Kings lasted only two seasons before he was dismissed. He has since retired from coaching.

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About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia is an NBA, WNBA, and tennis journalist at Sportskeeda with over four years of experience in the field with The SportsRush.

Advait has a love of basketball that stems from playing the game, and has represented Mumbai North at the Inter-District State Championship and Maharashtra at the ASISC National Games.

His favorite team is the New Orleans Pelicans, although Advait also has an affinity for the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. His favorite player of all time was Kobe Bryant, as the Lakers legend's undeniable talent and mentality were just unignorable. As for players in the current game, Stephen Curry, Zion Williamson, Victor Wembanyama, and Kyrie Irving are top of Advait's list.

When not watching or writing about sports, Advait is a fan of true crime shows, board games and console gaming.

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