UPDATE March 27, 2014, 2:01 P.M. ET:

In the midst of a social media storm caused by his controversial comments on widespread Black support for Trayvon Martin, Kobe Bryant responds with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on his Instagram page:

Bryant also took to Twitter to show support for Trayvon Martin, tweeting, “Travon Martin was wronged THATS my opinion and thats what I believe the FACTS showed. The system did not work #myopinion #tweetURthoughts

Travon Martin was wronged THATS my opinion and thats what I believe the FACTS showed. The system did not work #myopinion #tweetURthoughts — Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) March 27, 2014

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In the March 31 issue of the New Yorker, Kobe Bryant discussed life, race and the inevitable conclusion of his illustrious basketball career with Ben McGrath. Perhaps most shocking is Bryant’s assertion that wide-spread support for Trayvon Martin was premature and he refused to show support for the slain teen simply because he’s African American.

According to Colorlines, when McGrath asked Bryant’s opinion on the Miami Heat’s show of solidarity with Martin in the now iconic “Hoodie” photo, the 35-year-old L.A. Laker said that such a move showed lack of “progress”:

I won’t react to something just because I’m supposed to, because I’m an African-American,” he said. “That argument doesn’t make any sense to me. So we want to advance as a society and a culture, but, say, if something happens to an African-American we immediately come to his defense? Yet you want to talk about how far we’ve progressed as a society? Well, we’ve progressed as a society, then don’t jump to somebody’s defense just because they’re African-American. You sit and you listen to the facts just like you would in any other situation, right? So I won’t assert myself.”

The profile also quotes former NFL running back Jim Brown, who previously said, “[Kobe] is somewhat confused about culture, because he was brought up in another country.”

Bryant tweeted the following in response: “A ‘Global’ African American is an inferior shade to ‘American’ African American?? #hmmm. that doesn’t sound very #Mandela or #DrKing sir.”

A “Global” African American is an inferior shade to “American” African Americans?? #hmm.. that doesn’t sound very #Mandela or #DrKing sir — Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) December 12, 2013

Read more at Colorlines.

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