Naomi Osaka thought she had aced a deal with NBA legend LeBron James when she teamed up with his SpringHill company to provide diverse TV programming.
But this was not the grand slam that Osaka was hoping for.
The name of the company, Hana Kuma, means “flower bear” in Japanese. However, the same name translates to a vulgar term in Swahili, much to the chagrin of many Africans who said the name means “woman without a vagina.”
Twitter users let Osaka hear about it.
Naomi Osaka has partnered with LeBron James to start a media company called Hana Kuma. Well, this 'Hana Kuma' name means something different in Swahili. I won't say it.
— Daniel Kibet (@DanielKibet_) June 22, 2022
Did they do a global search on what the name means?She should have been well advised it has a very vulgar meaning in Swahili which is spoken by many people.
— caramel_ace (@caramel_ace1) June 22, 2022
A third user said: “Amazing the lack of research. Lots of money but that brand won’t fly in Africa. Let it stay in America and Japan. It’s offensive. Do you even have a clue what it means? Get rid of your ego and change the name. God forgive your ignorance.”
Osaka did not respond directly to the criticism, but posted a cryptic message, saying:
prayers for all my overthinkers. We be going through it 😔
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) June 22, 2022
That message incited even more detractors to speak up, with one person, tweeting: “If you keep the name #hanakuma, the name will override the news and the stories you wish to share. The name of the brand is already news! I suggest a change and also, just being a bit respectful to global culture. It’s not overthinking here, it’s protecting a brand!”
According to the New York Post, Swahili is a language spoken by more than 200 million around the world, mostly those of African descent. It remains to be seen if Osaka will change the name now that she’s been made aware of its meaning in another language.
