White players are much less likely to be harassed based on race by fans. However, racially charged heckling and insults from fans are common towards non-white players. This issue is not exclusive to basketball but occurs often in the sport, such as in the case of Russell Westbrook and a fan who was insulting him.
Though Thabo Sefolosha was found not guilty of charges and came to a settlement over the NYPD’s use of force against him, the fact that the case occurred at all is an insight into the privilege of white players in terms of police interaction. Non-white players are much more likely to be unfoundedly stopped, harassed, or hurt by the police.
White players are not obliged to understand or research the history of racism in sports and basketball. As such, they may not have a fundamental grasp of why white privilege is an issue within the sport. Non-white players are unable to be ignorant of race as they often encounter issues that have racism at the source. This is how Kyle Korver describes his relationship with racism in sports before he decides to acknowledge it.
While players have the option to be uninvolved in discussions on racially charged problems or hold any accountability for themselves or others within the NBA and WNBA, as it does not directly affect them. Non-white players are unable to ignore certain issues of race as they are often directed at them, whether it is systematic or from exterior sources. An example of this includes racially-charged harassment through social media which many athletes cannot avoid aside from not using the platforms.
Non-white players are much more likely to run into systematic or administrative racism than white players. This can be seen through racially charged acts committed by figures of authority that should be completely unbiased, including judges, referees, coaches, and other administrators. Incidents such as racially charged decisions by coaches such as Phil Jackson to place white players before non-white players in important games.