A role player on the New Orleans Pelicans basketball team lashed out at President Trump after he poked fun at the National Basketball Association for dismal TV ratings amid leaguewide social justice protests.
Pelicans forward Josh Hart kept his criticism of the president’s jab at the league short in a tweet sent on Tuesday afternoon.
“What a dumbass,” Hart replied to Trump, who, earlier in the day, noted the poor TV ratings for the league before warning that a similar fate awaited the National Football League and Major League Baseball if they refused to “stand tall for our country and our flag.”
What a dumbass. https://t.co/XoSQrMrAkz
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) September 1, 2020
The NBA has struggled to capture the attention of fans after the league restarted playing in July. Viewership on network television is down as much as 45% compared to ratings for the 2011-12 NBA season, according to the Athletic’s Ethan Strauss.
The Milwaukee Bucks set off a leaguewide boycott that lasted for one day in August following the shooting of Jacob Blake, an armed suspect who resisted arrest. NBA superstar LeBron James was among a group of players and staff members who voted to abandon the rest of the season but were overruled by others who suggested that continuing the season provided teams and players with a much-needed platform to discuss social justice issues.
