Ndiaye says Johnsen used racial slur; Majerus 'will resign' if true

Posted: Sun March 29, 1998 at 9:02 PM ET

Ndiaye would not comment on whether or not he spit on Johnsen, but this is not the first time this season he has complained of being the object of a racial slur    (AP)

SAN ANTONIO (CNN/SI) -- The "n" word has surfaced yet once again. On Sunday, Utah's Britton Johnsen denied using it in remarks allegedly made toward North Carolina's Makhtar Ndiaye, a native of Senegal. Was there spitting in retaliation? Johnsen says there was.

So upset was Johnsen at the accusation that he appeared at an afternoon news conference with Utah coach Rick Majerus to deny it.

The controversy: Johnsen is accused of calling Carolina's Ndiaye a "nigger" and Ndiaye was accused of spitting on Johnsen. Both sides denied the claims but agreed there had been a nasty argument during the Utes' 65-59 upset victory that put them in the championship game.

"It shouldn't even be an issue, it did not happen. That's it," Johnsen said emphatically. Majerus said he would resign if the alleged incident happened.

Johnsen said the tape of the game would back him up.

After the game Ndiaye said: "I don't have anything to say about spitting on him. Why don't you ask him about what he said to me? He has no right to use the 'n' word. He used it more than once. He said it to me the whole game."

Ndiaye wasn't available for comment Sunday, but coach Bill Guthridge said his player denied spitting on Johnsen.

"My guess was that it was just a heated exchange," Guthridge said. Ndiaye contended earlier in the season that Maryland fans yelled a racial slur at him. Maryland officials denied the claims.

Utah guard Andre Miller, who is black, said, "I don't think Britton would ever say anything like that. We know words were exchanged, but he wouldn't say that."

Majerus said if it came down to it: "I'll fly Johnsen there [North Carolina] and let him take a lie detector test. He never called anybody `nigger' in his life."

The incident took on special resonance because it involved Utah, a state predominantly Mormon with few blacks. Even Utes star guard Miller, who is from the Los Angeles area, said his first impression of the team was "some slow white guys."

Majerus staged a special news conference with Johnsen to address the accusation. "The language is a little graphic, but I would like him to speak the exact truth from his heart," the Utah coach said, although his warning proved unnecessary.

"Before the game started, Coach told us [that] to beat this team we had to play a physical game," the 19-year-old forward said, his voice shaking at times.

Johnsen alleges the only thing he told Ndiaye was, "Look I'm a hundred pounds lighter than you and I'm kicking your butt."    (AP)

"I was throwing my body around on Neeja, Ninja," he said, stumbling over the pronunciation of the Senegalese name, "and you know, that's the game of basketball.

"We were getting really competitive and our bodies were clashing into each other, and he slapped me across the face at first and I kind of ran back and he told me he was going to kick my 'f-ing a,' and all this.

"It kind of kept happening and happening," Johnsen continued, "and the only words that came out of my mouth, I said, 'Look I'm a hundred pounds lighter than you and I'm kicking your butt.'"

Ndiaye is listed at 6-foot-10 and 230 pounds, while Johnsen, from Murray, Utah, is 6-9 and 200 pounds.

"That's all that happened. And he spit on me. I never called him the 'n' word. I've never called anyone that. It's a joke that this is even happening, because, you know, I'm a freshman, and this is blocking some of our success and happiness."

Majerus prefaced his remarks by saying he had great respect for former North Carolina coach Dean Smith, current coach Bill Guthridge and the Tar Heels program. He noted that Smith, who like him is white, had been active in the black civil rights movement.

"I know what Dean Smith did at those lunch counters and in those buses, and I'll tell you what, I've been in more civil rights marches than probably most of you, with my father.

"I stand by this boy's statement 100 percent. I know this boy's family, I know his character, I know his older brother, who played for me, and I know this boy," Majerus said.

He added: "This is really an unfortunate incident. This boy is very upset about this.

"But rather than have to address this with 200 people, and some spectre of racism be cast over him the rest of his life, he has spoken to you what he believes. I stand behind that statement, and I'm very sorry that this had to come into one of the nicest events anyone could ever be part of," Majerus continued.

"I don't want this to cast a pallor over the tournament, or these two guys' lives. So that's it. I don't have anything else to say about it.

"If in fact that happened, I will resign."

Earlier, Miller had backed his teammate's version of events, while saying he did not hear what was said between Johnsen and Ndiaye. "I just remember at halftime Brit came in and his face was red and he said, 'this guy spit in my face.'"

Miller, who said he would have told Johnsen not to use such language in his presence if it had ever happened, said: "I don't think Brit would say something like that."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.