MN Basketball Coaches Association announces new award after controversial Mr. Basketball tweet

(KMSP) - The Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association said there will be a new award next season to recognize the best senior player in the state.

The announcement of the McDonald Award comes on the heels of what some say were racist tweets from the man who's been synonymous with Mr. Basketball Minnesota for 40 years.

On Friday, in response to a tweet about Muslim students taunting New Jersey school officials, the owner and chair of the Mr. Basketball Minnesota Award tweeted "run their [expletive] outta there!"

Ken Lien's post drew a quick response from Henry Sibley High School basketball coach John Carrier who tweeted "I can no longer stand by silently and support these types of tweets from someone representing our state."

He went on to say that "going forward, Henry Sibley boys basketball will be no longer acknowledging your Mr. Basketball program as an award speaking for Minnesota."

"I have a Muslim on my team. So I just couldn't feel about right about anyone having those types of feelings in light of the players that I coach," said North High School Basketball Coach Larry McKensie.

McKenzie said his program will no longer recognize Mr. Basketball Minnesota either.

"If this is the kind of thought process that went into it, I don't want to be affiliated with anybody or anything that thinks like that," McKensie said.

After all, Mckenzie said someone who represents the state's basketball community should be an example of the best in us, not the worst.

"Nelson Mandela said the beauty of sports is it can break down barriers. So, basketball is a game we should be using to help kids understand differences, not create differences," McKensie said.

Before deleting the Mr. Basketball twitter account, Lien apologized. But, many on social media say the damage is done.

Fox 9 did reach out to him for our story, but he did not return our call.