NBA announcer suspended for ‘cotton-picking’ comment about Russell Westbrook

The Thunder suspended play-by-play announcer Brian Davis Friday for one game after using an old Southern phrase that has possible racial connotations when talking about star guard Russell Westbrook.

Davis, who has been calling Thunder broadcasts for eight seasons, said Westbrook was “out of his cotton-picking mind” after the seven-time All-Star hit a three.

The phrase “cotton-picking” is sometimes used in the context of being difficult or a nuisance.

You can watch the play and hear the commentary below:

https://twitter.com/zerodark3018/status/984235710327738368

Davis accepted the suspension and apologized for his “lapse in judgement.”

“It is with great remorse and humility that I accept this suspension for the insensitive words I used during Wednesday’s broadcast,” Davis told ESPN. “While unintentional, I understand and acknowledge the gravity of the situation.”