Raptors delete Martin Luther King Jr. post after backlash

On Monday, the Toronto Raptors attempted to honour civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Unfortunately, their tribute didn’t exactly register quite as they anticipated.

The team posted a quote from King — “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope” — and four photos attached that together made up a full photo of the civil rights leader. It’s a common social media tactic on X to highlight an image preview before expanding to a larger “surprise” image.

By clicking on the post, a collage of photos of Raptors players warming up in shirts that said Honor King was available to be viewed in full. Here’s what the content of the post was intended to show in the four-part photo spread:

But based on how the post was presented to X users, it resembled King being targeted by a gun’s crosshairs if you didn’t click to expand the image.

extremely regular mlk sniper crosshairs tweet from the toronto raptors pic.twitter.com/8NXMYSSCKZ

— Tedd Buddwell 🏀🏈 (@TedBuddy8) January 16, 2024

At the age of 39, King was shot and killed in April 1968 by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee.

The post was deleted, but not before the backlash came through.

The Toronto Raptors with the worst MLK tweet of the day. Impressive. #WeTheNorth

— Bille (@Bilaal10) January 16, 2024

Why does it look like he is literally getting shot

— Hopeful_TTF_Maple (@Hopeful_01_TTF) January 16, 2024

The Raptors Twitter is wild for that MLK post

— |j| (@JVR24_) January 16, 2024

It’s the second awkward deletion around a social issue for the Raptors social team in less than a year, who took down a video in March 2023 celebrating Women’s Empowerment Month.

The team has yet to issue any statement on the post.

They did, however, leave up a tribute from earlier in the day to King.

Let's live our lives mirroring MLK's message by treating others with kindness, standing up for what's right, and creating a more inclusive and just society.#MLKDay pic.twitter.com/FvMPWjUitO

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 15, 2024

And prior to their game against the Celtics on Monday, Toronto veteran forward Garrett Temple addressed the Scotiabank Arena crowd about the importance of the holiday.

“I realize it’s not a national holiday in Canada, but it is in America. We appreciate you guys celebrating with us,” Temple told the crowd. “Kings lessons of mutual respect resound now more than ever.”

Garrett Temple addresses the crowd in Toronto for #MLKDay.

"His lessons of mutual respect resound now, more than ever." pic.twitter.com/XBKAbqrqc5

— THE SHIFT (@theshift_sports) January 16, 2024

At the very least, it seems like Monday’s gaffe was a well-intentioned miscue rather than anything malicious. But mistakes live forever on the internet, and we know that the social media team will have to think twice the next time they post about an important social issue.

You might also like:
• Newest Raptors have no interest in moral victories