He singles out a prevailing attitude that black athletes naturally are gifted but lacking mentally, while whites are not as talented but get by with brains and hard work. It was perpetuated most recently in the NFL draft, when quarterbacks JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn were among the top prospects.

Russell is black. Quinn is white. Even though Russell was the No. 1 overall pick, many of the so-called draft experts questioned how he would adapt to the mental rigors of a pro-style offense. There were no such reservations about Quinn, whose lack of physical skills supposedly were the reason he slipped to late in the first round.

“It’s unfair to the black athlete, who has put so much work into achieving the excellence he has achieved,” Thomas said. “On the other hand, it’s unfair to the white athletes, who also must have terrific talent or they couldn’t compete on the playing field.”

Etan Thomas, who plays for the Washington Wizards in the predominantly black NBA, said there’s plenty of unspoken distrust between those on the court and the largely white media.

“You can tell in their articles, the things they’re saying, how they interpret certain situations, that they just don’t understand us,” the black center said. “But it’s hard.”

He remembers visiting a camp that brings together Israeli and Palestinian children, and how he struggled to comprehend the fears, prejudices and hatreds on both sides.

“I can’t understand that, and it would be almost ridiculous to think I could,” the Wizards player said. “You can read about it, talk to people, but you’re not fully going to understand it if you didn’t experience it growing up.”

Lee also is looking to overcome some of the resistance in his own community. He wants to see more young blacks aspiring to cover the games, not just play them.

“Not everybody can hit the gene pool, DNA lottery,” said Lee, who didn’t hit it himself. “Only a couple of people, very special people, are going to make it to the pro level. But you can still have a career in sports and not play.”

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