North Carolina men's basketball coach Roy Williams has apologized for comments he made earlier this week in which he compared his team's struggles to the recent earthquake in Haiti.
In a Tuesday press conference, Williams said his team's season was just as bad as the Haiti disaster.
"Our massage therapist told me, 'You know, coach, what happened in Haiti is a catastrophe. What you're having is a disappointment.' I told her that depends on what chair you're sitting in. It does feel like a catastrophe to me, because it's my life," Williams said.
The UNC coach responded to his comments on Thursday.
"On Feb. 1 at my weekly radio show I made a comment about a colleague telling me that Haiti was a catastrophe and we were just having a difficult season," Williams told Digital Sports Daily. "I said that does put basketball in perspective. However, Tuesday, at a press conference, I referenced her comment again but I neglected to say that it puts basketball in perspective. In no way am I equating the tragedy in Haiti with basketball. I'm sorry that my statement at the press conference made it seem like I was comparing the two. The people of Haiti are suffering through unimaginably difficult times. I know very well that we are just playing a game."
The estimated death toll in Haiti is 230,000 following the Jan. 12 earthquake.
Williams' team has a 13-11 record this season.
