Overview

• On July 2 Victoria Police arrested a 37-year-old man from Huntingdale for allegedly sending racist messages to Harrell via social media after a November 17 NBL match
• The suspect has been charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend and was granted bail ahead of his August 15 appearance at Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court
• Basketball Australia’s Integrity Unit referred the case to police and described it as the first successful arrest for social media racial abuse in Australian basketball
• The Adelaide 36ers confirmed Harrell was informed of the arrest and commended authorities for upholding a zero-tolerance stance against racism
• The case underscores a shift towards leveraging existing laws and sports governance measures to better protect athletes from online hate