A day after he caused the controversy, Jefferson held a press conference and explained that his stretching during national anthem was not a slight against Korea and Korean culture, but a natural reaction to pain that he felt at the time. (image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 20 (Korea Bizwire) – A foreign basketball player who stretched while the national anthem was being played before a match has finally been thrown off his team. The team explained that his removal was caused not only by his rude behavior, but also from his reckless private life.
On March 20, the Changwon LG Sakers decided to terminate the contract of Davon Jefferson, who was accused of improper behavior in the March 18 match against Ulsan Mobis as part of the Korean Basketball League (KBL) playoffs. Korean basketball fans strongly criticized Jefferson for his reckless behavior and his insincere play this season.
A day after he caused the controversy, Jefferson held a press conference and explained that his stretching during national anthem was not a slight against Korea and Korean culture, but a natural reaction to pain that he felt at the time.
An official from the basketball team said, “We did not take this course of action just because he stretched during the national anthem. We also considered other shameful activities from the past.”
Jefferson, who joined LG last season, played a key role as the Sakers finished first in the KBL during the regular season. This season, he was also among the league leaders, averaging 22.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
By M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
