French basketball federation opens case into racist incident

METZ, France (AP) — The French basketball federation has opened a disciplinary case after a Black player was reportedly targeted by a racist insult during a lower-league game. Metz point guard Loic Akono said he was called a “bonobo” by a fan during a game at Charleville-Mezieres over the weekend. Bonobos are similar to chimpanzees. Akono left the court before the end of the third quarter after the referee threatened to charge him with a technical foul if he kept arguing with the crowd. The French federation says it opened a disciplinary case, noting its “zero tolerance” policy toward such behaviors. Metz plays in the fourth division.