DALLAS (AP) -- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban apologized Thursday to Trayvon Martin's family over his choice of words in a videotaped interview in which he addressed bigotry and prejudice.
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| Mark Cuban arrives at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, May 18 in Las Vegas. (Photo:AP) |
Cuban even revealed some of his own prejudices in the interview with Inc magazine, and said he believes everyone has "prejudices and bigotries" on some level. But after his words -- which came with the NBA still dealing with the fallout over racist remarks made by now-banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling -- created a stir in social media and other circles, Cuban took to Twitter to offer his apology.
"In hindsight I should have used different examples," Cuban wrote. "I didn't consider the Trayvon Martin family, and I apologize to them for that."
Cuban also said he stands by the substance of the interview.
Martin was the black Florida teen who was shot and killed by neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in February 2012. Martin was wearing a hooded sweatshirt -- commonly called a ‘hoodie’ -- that night, and that particular piece of clothing became a rallying cry for those who demanded justice.
Zimmerman was eventually acquitted.
"We're all prejudiced in one way or the other," Cuban said in the Inc. interview. "If I see a black kid in a hoodie and it's late at night, I'm walking to the other side of the street. And if on that side of the street, there's a guy that has tattoos all over his face -- white guy, bald head, tattoos everywhere -- I'm walking back to the other side of the street. And the list goes on of stereotypes that we all live up to and are fearful of."
When shown that excerpt of the interview Thursday, Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat cringed.
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