Rex Chapman's Jungle Fever

Rex Chapman was always one of our favorite NBA players. The guy couldn't play defense, couldn't pass and was, sadly, too white to disguise rapid baldness with a shaved head. But he could shoot, and basketball is always more fun when people can shoot. And now, thanks to a set of recent of interviews, we learn that Chapman got to live the wannabe white boy's dream: He got to date black girls. This is news enough to us; we always thought white guys were too dorky for such endeavors. But nope: Apparently, Chapman forgot he went to school in Kentucky and claims surprise that school officials openly discouraged his interracial dating. It's difficult for us to get all worked up about the Breaking News That Is Racism In Kentucky That Took Place 20 Years Ago, but we do enjoy this quote from Chapman teammate Kenny "Sky" Walker: "Now I never had anybody specifically tell me not to date white girls, but maybe that's because a black guy and a white girl is more acceptable." Oh, yeah, in Kentucky, definitely ....

Chapman: Racial Taboos Affected Stay at UK