Ken Lien, who has been synonymous with the Mr. Basketball Award program in Minnesota for 40 years, has resigned from the program's committee in the wake of remarks he made on social media that were criticized as being racist.
Lien said in a letter released Wednesday that he told his six committee members of his decision Monday and that he "will not be involved in this season's voting." In years past, Lien has been the most visible person associated with the selection.
Lien's letter said, "There will be a new head and spokesperson of the committee," beginning with this year's award, but did not disclose who it would be.
On the day Lien resigned, the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association announced it will honor the state's top senior boys' player with a new award, named for legendary Chisholm boys' coach Bob McDonald, starting after the 2017-18 season.
Lien came under fire last Friday after a series of tweets and retweets regarding blacks and Muslims.
Lien apologized on Twitter on Friday and with his letter. "My poor decisionmaking has caused hurt feelings and a great deal of anger," he wrote. "I recognize this and I am truly apologetic."
The board of directors of Mr. Basketball of Minnesota issued a news release late Wednesday saying, "There is no place for racial or religious insensitivity in our society, and we will not condone such behavior by anyone in our basketball programs."
The release, signed by board member Jim Robinson, said the group has evolved in the past four years "from a privately held to a more independent body" now recognized as a nonprofit agency. The group said its "sole purpose" is to make the annual top-player selection and that it "welcomes the input of all members of the basketball community."
The coaches group, in a statement Wednesday, thanked Lien for his "leadership and commitment to Mr. Basketball." It said it hopes the new "Player of the Year" award, created in the spirit of college basketball's Wooden Award, will be "widely recognized as the top award that a senior high school basketball player in Minnesota can receive."
An award honoring the top senior girls' player, called Miss Basketball, is operated by the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association.