Toronto Raptors fans are outraged at a recently surfaced hot mic moment after a press conference, where reporters could be heard trashing some of the team’s players.
Following the Toronto Raptors’ 30-52 finish to the season, Monday’s media presser quickly grew controversy after a shocking private conversation between two unidentified media members was unknowingly picked up by a hot mic.
The audio, which has been circulating online, overhears reporters making disparaging remarks about players Scottie Barnes and Jonathan Mogbo.
In the first part of the clip, they can be heard criticizing Barnes’ communication style and attitude.
“It’s not just his enunciation, which, like, was super bad, especially last year,” one person said about the shooting guard.
“But even the attitude. Just the attitude — like he’s having fun up there. First year or even before, he just kept getting worse and worse every year.”
The not-so-confidential chat then shifted toward Mogbo, with another reporter sharing his take on the first-year forward.
“When I first interviewed Mogbo when he was drafted, I was shocked ’cause he was so dumb,” the person said.
As the eyebrow-raising exchange continued, someone off-screen then cautioned the reporters that the microphones were live. The reporters instead laughed off the warning.
After the moment went viral on social media, Barnes actually shared the video clip on his Instagram story with the caption, “Be chatting lol.”
Even Raptors President Masai Ujiri joined in on trolling the reporters.
Sports Illustrated reporter Aaron Rose responded to the video after facing claims that his voice was heard in the convo, telling people to stop accusing him of something he didn’t do.
“So, enough with all this hate. Stop attacking me, it simply isn’t true,” he said in a TikTok video.
Now, Raptors fans aren’t taking the situation lightly, and are expressing their disappointment with the media members online.
“These people never had a chance to make their dreams possible so they bash nba players who did,” a TikTok user said.
“Gotta fire the reporters cause I’m not answering another question if I’m a raptors player,” another user wrote.
“Ironic that the ppl calling mogbo dumb just stained their career because they didn’t turn off a mic,” one user commented.
“They need to be fired yesterday,” another said.
As of Thursday, the involved reporters remain unidentified.
Now Toronto reached out to the Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment and Toronto Raptors but have yet to receive a response.
