Basketball: Breakers may still face racial complaint

Perth centre Nate Jawai. Photo / Getty

The New Zealand Breakers could still find themselves at the centre of a formal complaint after last week's racism row with the Perth Wildcats.

After Nate Jawai was allegedly the subject of a racial taunt while playing at the North Shore Events Centre on Wednesday, the Wildcats have yet to rule out pursuing the matter next week.

The West Australian reported that Perth were adamant the term "monkey" was used by a member of the home crowd as Jawai made his way off the court in the second quarter of his side's 21-point defeat.

And after the club initially released a statement pledging to "move on" from the incident, the newspaper reported the Wildcats' position could be changing.

Jawai, an Indigenous Australian of Torres Strait Islander descent, said he was content to leave the matter in the hands of the Australian NBL, while coach Trevor Gleeson said the side would support whatever his player wished.

"If Nate wants to take it further we'll support him 100 per cent," Gleeson told Perth media. "It was just Nate's instant reaction, it's not like his personality to do that straight away."

Gleeson was the one to initially raise the matter, saying after the Breakers' win on Wednesday that Jawai was racially abused by an identified member of the crowd, which saw further security stationed behind the Perth bench for the remainder of the game.

But the Breakers believed a misunderstanding might have been to blame behind the allegations and were disappointed that Gleeson chose to air his grievance to media rather than contacting the club or the league.

Breakers boss Richard Clarke, after speaking with the the Australian NBL referees' manager and season members who were in close proximity to the Wildcats bench, believed there was no racial element to any exchange that took place.

"There was definitely an exchange between Nate and some of our fans but there certainly hasn't been any suggestion (from fans) it was abusive, particularly racially abusive," said Clarke. "There may have been a little bit of a misunderstanding as to the context of what was said."

The Wildcats then released a brief statement the following day saying that, while Jawai was "taunted whilst being subbed out of the game", they would not take the matter any further.

"As this was an isolated incident limited to one person, Nate and the club have decided to move on."