US basketball player Sonny Weems racially abused by fans in China

By David Culver and George Ramsay, CNN

Updated 1932 GMT (0332 HKT) January 18, 2022

Weems has played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China since 2018.

(CNN)American basketball player Sonny Weems has been subjected to racial abuse from fans while playing in China.

In a video circulating on social media, fans can be heard repeatedly shouting the «N» word and «get out of China» at 35-year-old Weems, who plays for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association.The incident happened after the Southern Tigers' game against the Liaoning Flying Leopards last Thursday. During the game, a fight broke out between Weems and Chinese player Han Dejun which resulted in both players being ejected.In the video, Weems is seen exiting the team bus along with the rest of the team when a crowd of fans can be heard yelling the racist slurs. Weems appears to ignore the crowd. In a statement on Friday, the CBA said it has a «zero-tolerance attitude toward any discriminatory words or deeds,» and in an open letter to fans asked them not to engage in «uncivilized behavior» and «vulgar words.»Read MoreReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHJeremy Lin: I worry I encourage hatred by speaking out 03:35«Whether on or off the field, fans should watch the game in a civilized manner, respect each other, do not do anything that damages the reputation of the team,» reads the letter. Both teams also condemned the behavior of the fans with the Flying Leopards saying the words seriously hurt the Guangdong team and damage the image of the league and fans. «Respect for the opponent is a basic quality that every player should have, and it is also a basic requirement for a qualified fan,» reads the team's statement. CNN has reached out to Weems but