The Kobe King story won’t die. A lot of questions were raised when a Wisconsin Badger basketball player who was a member of the starting five left the team in late January. Wednesday night, news broke which added more questions instead of reducing them in number. Thursday morning provided some clarity on the situation, but hardly any certainty about the actual events which might have played out.
It was reported that a member of Wisconsin’s support staff might have used a racial epithet toward King. School athletic department officials addressed the matter Wednesday night, when the Badgers were playing the Minnesota Golden Gophers. UW athletics is investigating the allegations.
Senior associate athletic director Justin Doherty, as reported by Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, said the following:
“UW athletics administration was made aware of an allegation Sunday afternoon and has already taken measures to address it. Anytime we are made aware of an allegation of any kind, it is handled with the utmost seriousness.
“There is absolutely no place in UW athletics for the type of behavior being alleged.”
Thursday morning, it was confirmed that Erik Helland, the strength and conditioning coach for the UW men’s basketball program, was placed on administrative leave as the subject of this investigation into alleged racially abusive comments:
OK tweeps, here is our story on #Badgers strength coach Erik Helland being placed on administrative leave by UW officials. I'm out. https://t.co/KD2TTMcfEb
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) February 6, 2020
While we wait for this investigation to run its course, it is worth noting what Potrykus noted in his story on Helland:
“A 25-year veteran of the NBA, Helland entered his seventh year as Wisconsin’s men’s basketball strength and conditioning coach in 2019-20. In June 2015, Helland was also promoted to UW’s director of strength and conditioning and oversees the strength and conditioning programs and facilities for all UW athletic teams.”
This seven-year tenure means Helland was part of the program during its very best years, the two Final Four seasons of 2014 and 2015. This is clearly a person who has made substantial contributions to the program on the court. This creates the precise kind of situation in which a lot of people can easily suspect — and even declare — the worst motives on the part of various individuals.
A simple plea: Let’s not go there. Like the Iowa Caucuses, let’s wait for everything to unfold, and be verified, and be clarified, before we start to recommend certain actions or statements.