Kevin Durant supports 'Red Wolves' as new name for Washington's NFL team
WASHINGTON - Prince George's County native and NBA star Kevin Durant last week showed support for one nickname that has floated around social media as a possible solution to the Washington NFL team’s dilemma.
READ MORE: Washington retiring Redskins nickname and logo, team says
Washington announced on Monday that it will remove the nickname "Redskins" after years of controversy reached their apex two weeks ago when FedEx began to apply pressure.
Durant showed his support for the name Red Wolves when he commented on RedskinsToday's Instagram post of a mockup of what the Red Wolves might look like.
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Durant posted the fire emoji in the comments section, according to NBC Sports Washington.
“Washington won’t announce its new name because trademark issues are still pending, but the 'thorough review' of the name is officially over because the team wanted to “remove any doubts as to the future of the name,” the Sports Business Journal reported.
Big-name retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Target, as well as Nike and Dick’s Sporting Goods, all removed Redskins merchandise from their websites last week.
Last week, ESPN reported that the team has made the obvious decision to remove the Native American imagery from its logo.
The recent national focus on race relations since the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis brought new scrutiny to the team’s name. That’s when the Redskins said they would conduct a “thorough review” of the team name, as the organization faced immense pressure to change its moniker over racial connotations.
The team also hopes to build a new stadium and return inside D.C. city limits -- but local leaders there say they are already seeking a name change as a condition of any potential stadium deal.