Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard Under Fire For Asking If James Harden Is ‘R*tarded’ Live On Air
Fox Sports NBA analyst Chris Broussard is facing serious backlash online for asking if NBA superstar James Harden is “r*tarded” live on air Tuesday.
On the show First Things First, the panel was discussing Harden being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Clippers. When the conversation shifted to how well Harden would fit on the Clippers, Broussard and host Nick Wright had a disagreement.
“I think he’s not gonna get to play the way he wants and he’s gonna mope and it’s not gonna go well,” Wright said.
That’s when Broussard asked a question that no one could have expected.
“Of course!” he replied. “Nick, is the man r*tarded?”
Wright quickly cut him off and reminded him he “shouldn’t use that word,” to which Broussard agreed and corrected it to “developmentally disabled.”
Immediately after Broussard used the word, the broadcast switched to a close-up of co-host Kevin Wildes, who looked straight at the camera with a raised eyebrow.
Then, Broussard continued trying to get his point across and just moved on.
About 15 seconds later, however, he did take a moment to apologize.
“Let me apologize for using that word,” he said. “My first cousin… he just died a few months ago. He was developmentally disabled. I didn’t mean to use that word. I apologize to the audience and everybody.”
Wright remarked how “kind” it was for Broussard to apologize and reassured him that nobody was going to give him too much hate for it.
He couldn’t have been more incorrect.
Fuck @Chris_Broussard and anyone who uses this word. Fuck them. pic.twitter.com/wgxlJe7c7n
— Barstool Are Dee Tee (@editti22) October 31, 2023
Broussard is a jackass. I hope this is the thing that finally gets him off the air https://t.co/R198NypG2A
— Darcy Armstrong (@DArm91) October 31, 2023
congrats you are now unemployed https://t.co/IBz6WzJQmA
— tick (@BijanSZN) October 31, 2023
Many also pointed out Broussard’s odd choice to reference his cousin when he apologized.
Not sure what’s worse, thinking correcting to “developmentally disabled” makes it better or that it’s somehow fine because of his cousin https://t.co/qVxdsMYSCl
— Charlie Cummings (@klaytheist11) October 31, 2023
Insane recovery attempt https://t.co/U5n9MTKHQd
— t (@Lcfc_T2000) October 31, 2023
Broussard tried to clean up using the R word by saying his cousin was developmentally disabled. And he died.
Dude….. https://t.co/JSuwAezVX8
— Diana 🍁 🎃 👻 🍂 (@DMR09) November 1, 2023
As of Wednesday morning, neither Fox Sports nor Broussard have made a statement regarding the comments.
It’s not the first Broussard’s been in hot water for comments made about an athlete. When he was still with ESPN in 2013, the company had to issue a statement after he called former NBA player Jason Collins — who is gay — a “sinner” and that he was “walking in open rebellion to God.”
Watch above via FS1
