Basketball recreation team booted from league over racist, derogatory jerseys

An Ohio basketball team was kicked out of its recreational league for sporting racist and offensive jerseys.

The team, made up of high school-aged students, showed up for a regular game on Sunday as part of the Cincinnati Premier Youth Basketball League wearing jerseys that read “Wet Dream Team” in the front.

While some considered the name to be sexual in nature, it was the names in the back of their jerseys that sparked outrage.

In place of the players’ real names, at least three jerseys showed terms like “Knee Grow” and “Coon.”

Tony Rue, a parent of a student in the opposing team, took photos of the jerseys and shared them on social media.

“A Rec league or not, please explain how this is even remotely considered appropriate for a high school basketball game,” he wrote on Facebook. “From a team name referencing sexual conduct to offensive and racist nicknames.”

He continued: “Could you imagine being an African American high school kid and seeing these things on the jerseys of the team you are playing and how uncomfortable and unsafe they would feel??”

Rue told FOX 19 that it was a racism and bullying “wrapped into one.”

"They were trying to say it was their last name, it was in joking fashion," Rue added. "Then their parents came over, and they were mad about paying the $7 entry fee and not completing the game."

League officials shut down the game and have dismissed the team from league, FOX 19 reported.

“Based on the information that we received, the actions and conduct of the team in question did not comply with our stated mission and expected standards and that team has, therefore, been dismissed from our league,” the league said in a statement.

The teams were made up of students from West Clermont High School and Kings High – neither are affiliates with the school districts, other than renting space and having players who are students.

Despite no affiliation with the league, a spokeswoman for the Kings school district released a statement on Monday.

“Kings Local Schools strongly condemns any type of hateful and racist commentary. This behavior is in no way welcome or tolerated in our schools and community,” the statement said.

The team’s coach released a statement through Charisse Middletown, coordinator for Kings Rec Basketball.

“We sincerely apologize to anyone that was offended by the jerseys. We offered to cover them up or change, however the league saw fit to remove us and we have accepted the decision,” it said.