Usually, there is a lot of chatter on Gil’s Arena, but this time, when Kenyon Martin spoke, everyone else was silent. Because the issue was personal, a person from his inner circle mocked his speech impediment. The 15-year NBA veteran gave a teaching moment on the Gilbert Arenas podcast and then explained on Instagram why it was important.

Martin has struggled with a stutter since his childhood in Dallas. During that time, he also experienced bullying and consequently avoided speaking at school. Therefore, the core problem wasn’t the name-calling itself. The core issue was that the disrespect originated from a close associate, someone who had visited his home on numerous occasions. Suge, who is part of the production crew, is the individual we are focusing on.

“It was about me addressing the situation, y’all, but it wasn’t about me,” said Martin. “It was for the other people that stutter, that’s been teased and bullied and, like I said, missed out on opportunities because of it. This was about them and letting them know you don’t have to put up with it. You don’t. It’s a special thing that we have. It’s not going anywhere.”

K-Mart also stated that he was on the board of the National Association for Stuttering, and they are constantly working to find more effective ways of therapy through speech. “But I am here for you guys. Deada–. I am here to speak up for you because I once was someone who didn’t have a speaking platform to let people know about this and to speak up for yourself. This is for you guys, man.”

On Tuesday’s Gil’s Arena, Kenyon Martin replayed the video of the staffer apparently making fun of him and his stuttering. He emphasized that speech impediment is a deeply personal issue for him. The statements and comments affected the 6’9″ forward from Michigan. He called out Suge and labeled him “disloyal.”

“This is what disloyalty and people who don’t respect you look like,” said Martin in Gil’s Arena. “People like him. Be careful who you invite into your home. Who you have around your loved ones, your friends, and family. This is what you get. People like this. That talk about something that is near and dear to my heart.”

Even during the live episode and on his Instagram, K-Mart made sure that he wanted no apology despite the staffer pleading multiple times.

Kenyon Martin did not accept the apology

When the former NBA veteran replayed the video, Suge, the person responsible for making these comments, recalled apologizing for this situation. But at the time, Martin had no context and did not expect the person close to him to say something this insensitive. In fact, K-Mart never watched the video until two weeks ago.

Someone else sent him the video, which is why Martin was done with Suge, and the last thing he wants is an apology. “I drew a line in the sand a long time ago with this. There is no apology ever as an adult that I would accept for this. I came in here one day over at Gil’s house, and you walked up to me and tried to apologize out of the blue. I blew you off because I didn’t know what you were talking about,” he added.

The pain and disappointment were amplified because Kenyon Martin was unprepared for mockery from someone he considered close. Once the situation was made clear to him, the ex-first overall selection opted to take a stand for righteousness. Even if it meant breaking the bond with a close associate.