Three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas sparked outrage after he claimed most WNBA players are ugly and should play in their underwear if they want to sell more tickets.
On Wednesday, Arenas, 33, posted a video on Instagram of women playing basketball in nothing but their bras and thongs as he urged the WNBA to adopt the look and slammed the way female players looked now.
‘Now this is what America was hoping for when they announced the #WNBA back in 1996… not a bunch of chicks running around looking like cast members from #orangeisthenewblack,’ he wrote, referencing the original Netflix series set in a women’s prison.
‘Don’t get me wrong, they have few #cutiepies but theres a whole lotta #beanpies running around.
‘If (WNBA player) #skylardiggins came out like this,I don’t care if she missed every layup..imma buy season tickets and I don’t even know where the f*** #tulsa is.’
His post was met with huge backlash including from the WNBA, which slammed the sexist comments as ‘repugnant, utterly disrespectful and flat-out wrong’.
Players on the women’s pro basketball league also hit out at Arenas, who has two daughters and two sons with ex-girlfriend and star of Basketball Wives LA, Laura Govan.
Three-time WNBA Champion Swin Cash said that ‘we are at war’ trying to save young girls from social media shaming.
‘To all my smart, beautiful young female ballers,’ she tweeted. ‘No one ever asked NBA guys to hoop in a speedo so laugh at haters& Dab on dem folk.’
Los Angeles Sparks star Candace Parker added: ‘Social media gives a platform for individuals to make irrelevant comments and become relevant again.’
Anticipating the outrage, Arenas had said on his post that anyone who found the post sexist, ‘9 times out of 10 u the ugly one and we didn’t pay to come see u play anyway #donkeykong.’
WNBA spokesman Mike Bass released a statement in support of female players, who he said did not deserve ‘ignorant insults’.
‘WNBA players are strong, talented and determined individuals who give it their all on the court and serve as inspiring role models to millions around the world,’ Bass said.
‘They should be celebrated for their accomplishments, not disparaged with ignorant insults.’
Arenas, 33, was a three-time NBA All-Star, but may be best remembered for violating league rules on handguns.
He pleaded guilty to felony gun possession and was banned for most of the 2009-2010 season after an incident involving guns in the Washington Wizards locker room involving then-teammate Javaris Crittenton.
Arenas is currently being sued by Govan who claims he evicted her and their children from their Los Angeles mansion and ‘forcefully took’ back the engagement ring he gave her, reportedly worth $1 million.