A Memphis television meteorologist is under investigation for a racist tweet directed at Warriors forward Draymond Green during Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Warriors and Grizzlies.
FOX13's Joey Sulipeck, who is white, directed a slur that compares Black people to primates at Green in a since-deleted tweet after Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson was issued an automatic ejection for losing his temper with officials. Sulipeck later deleted his Twitter account.
"And chew on this. Draymond runs his knuckle-dragging open mouth ALL GAME LONG, but mild-mannered Kyle Anderson disputes one call and gets ejected?" Sulipeck wrote, according to a screenshot of the tweet by Commercial Appeal reporter Evan Barnes.
Emotions are high right now among teams and fans over the play in question but this right here? @joeysulipeck - unacceptable.
— Evan Barnes〽️ (@evan_b) May 8, 2022
Memo to @FOX13Memphis - talk to your mans and check him. This is over the line and I won’t stand for it. This is bullsh-t. pic.twitter.com/RJsLDenByh
"Are you surprised?" Green wrote on his Instagram story. "Don't apologize. STAND ON IT."
Draymond Green chimes in on the “knuckle dragging” comment. pic.twitter.com/l7eNQDmM5V
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) May 8, 2022
Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters that he had not seen the tweet, but when asked about it, he said it was not surprising.
"Does it surprise me that a weatherman would tweet a slur at Draymond? In 2022? Not in the slightest bit," Kerr said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "This is America. This is how we operate."
After the tweet went viral, FOX13 Memphis said it had launched an investigation into the Sulipeck's tweet.
During Saturday’s Memphis Grizzlies’ game, Meteorologist Joey Sulipeck tweeted a comment that does not reflect the values of FOX13. We take this matter very seriously and will take appropriate action pending a full investigation.
— FOX13 Memphis (@FOX13Memphis) May 9, 2022
Before deleting his account, Sulipeck apologized for the tweet, according to the Commercial Appeal, writing on Twitter, "Anyone who knows me knows what I am. Race is never an issue to me. To anyone who was offended, I apologize but there was no ill intent."
