January 05, 2016
Miko Grimes, the wife of Miami Dolphins All-Pro cornerback and former Northeast High standout Brent Grimes, was in the news again last week. Via her personal Twitter account, Grimes unleashed some serious vitriol against some Dolphins media members and more notably, quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
In the sports world, Dennis Marshall’s tweets from over the weekend aren’t uncommon. Heck, in comparison to much of what Grimes wrote, Marshall seems pretty chill. But in 2016, all it takes is one screenshot for everyone to see that Kendall Marshall’s father suggested race was a factor in his son not seeing the floor much as of late. There is no way to get that tweet back.
So how did Brett Brown respond? With understanding.
“We all love our children,” Brown said. “And I’m the son of a coach, I got a little 11-year-old and nobody is overeacting. I spoke to both of them about it, we’ll move on. We love our kids and sometimes things come out and we move on.”
And just as importantly, how did Kendall Marshall respond? Are things awkward in the Sixers locker room?
“No, not at all,” the younger Marshall said. “My teammates are very aware of that’s not my opinion. That’s not coming out of my mouth, that’s not my social media. He’s a grown man and it’s obviously the wrong time and place to say it, but he said it.”
From here, Marshall acted like a true professional before Monday’s win over Minnesota by not hiding from the subject. And for his part, Dennis Marshall did apologize:
Here's Marshall's comment: "I apologize to all associated with the Sixers. ...."
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) January 4, 2016
.... I am ashamed and embarrassed by my actions. I have sent a letter of apology to the Sixers"
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) January 4, 2016
An undeniable part of the fascination here is that these events happened to the Sixers, with a B.E. (Before Elton) roster full of college-aged players. Where something related to a 6-10 football team might be treated as an isolated incident, these Sixers are always viewed through the prism of The Process. Would this happen if the roster makeup was different strictly from an age standpoint?
That question was raised again when the third overall pick’s dad was rumored to be vocally questioning the coaching from the stands like the annoying high school parent. That wouldn’t be how a professional franchise should be operating.
If any of this is bothering Brown too much, he’s certainly not showing it.
“I think Chucky Okafor is a good guy,” Brown said. “I’ve had many conversations with him. He loves following his son around the NBA, and he gets into it as much from a fan perspective as a dad perspective and emotions run high with him.”
Understanding emotions is key, especially on a team with a 4-33 record. Dennis Marshall obviously wants his son to do well, as does Chucky Okafor. Publicly expressing frustration isn’t productive because it brings unwanted negative attention to the team, and even more importantly, your kid.
"I don't know why you guys worry about my dad," Okafor said. "He's not in the NBA. He's not on the team. You can do better than finding something than my dad to write about."
As for the topic of race, Marshall said that he didn’t even have to talk about his father’s comments with T.J. McConnell and Nik Stauskas, his white teammates that sit right near him in the Sixers locker room.
“We still walk in the locker room, I still call them ‘white boy,’” Marshall said, smiling. “‘What’s good white boy, how you doing?’ That’ll never change, [although] it’s obviously maybe too soon to say that today.”
Both players are experiencing trying seasons in different ways. After a strong third-quarter showing against top overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns, Okafor rode the pine down the stretch as Brown decided to ride the hot hand in fellow rookie Richaun Holmes. After the game, Brown praised Okafor for how he handled the night’s situation.
Meanwhile, Marshall took a DNP-CD for the third time in four nights. The 24-year-old guard, who freely admits that he and his father “go at it sometimes,” is more focused on his own game.
“Personally I’m more frustrated not that I’m not playing, but more so that I’m not playing well,” Marshall said. “And I feel like once I start playing better, it will take care of itself.”
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
