Hence why I said rarely. When politics enter football or basketball, then race is brought up (and sometimes not without merit). No question. However, when it comes to the actual game or altercations that occur during a game, no one thinks to talk about race. (Unless Luka Doncic—IIRC—gets called a “bitch ass white boy” and white and black pundits talk about that particular double standard.)
For the most part, though, no, race does not usually get brought up in major sports like football and basketball as it relates to the actual game and what transpires during the actual game.