Roger Mason Jr. Calls BIG3 Work Environment 'Hostile and Racist' After Firing

Joseph Zucker @@JosephZuckerFeatured ColumnistMarch 13, 2018

IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR JCPENNEY - Roger Mason Jr., wearing a custom-lined JCPenney JF. J Ferrar suits with custom linings, available only at JCPenney, poses for a photo on the red carpet of the BIG3 Championship game in Las Vegas, NV. on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP Images for JCPenney)

Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Associated Press

Former NBA swingman Roger Mason Jr. alleged the BIG3 basketball league of having a "hostile and racist" work environment after the league fired him from his position of commissioner.

In a statement, Mason said he had been told that BIG3 co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz called black athletes "rich n----rs." Sports Illustrated's Matt Dollinger shared mason's full statement (warning: post contains profanity):

Matt Dollinger @matt_dollinger
Roger Mason Jr. just released a statement strongly disputing his firing from the BIG3 and calling the company's work environment "hostile and racist." https://t.co/gLKt23Cd9Y

TMZ Sports reported BIG3 fired Mason for his connection to two Qatari investors who failed to pay millions of dollars owed to the league. Mason brought the investors into the league and allegedly declined to cooperate with BIG3's investigation into the matter.

Mason disputed that retelling of events.

"I am proud of the role I took in taking BIG3 from when it was merely a concept and transformed it to a successful basketball organization," he said in his statement. "I am disappointed at the conduct of Ice Cube and other executives of BIG3 in levelling these desperate manufactured claims against me. It will not derail the success of my legitimate claims against the league."

Ice Cube has replaced Mason as the BIG3 commissioner. The league is entering its second season of operations, with the 2018 campaign set to begin June 22 in Chicago and conclude Aug. 24 in Brooklyn, New York.

🚨 SPORTS NEWS ➡️ YOUR INBOX