CALIFORNIA – The NBA has fined star player Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers $100,000 for what it calls “inexcusable” homophobic language used against a referee.
During last week’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers player called Bennie Adams a “faggot” when the referee judged he had committed a foul. His outburst was captured on camera. Afterwards, the star blamed “frustration in the heat of the game.”
“The comment that I made, even though it was not meant as what it’s perceived to be, is nonetheless wrong,” Bryant said on ESPN radio.
Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese said Bryant had apologized to him in a conversation. He said: “We had a very sincere conversation in which he expressed his heartfelt regret for the hurt that his words caused. He told me that it’s never OK to degrade or tease, and that he understands how his words could unfortunately give the wrong impression that this is appropriate conduct. At the end of a difficult day, I applaud Kobe for coming forward and taking responsibility for his actions.”
NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement that Bryant’s comment was “offensive and inexcusable.”
The controversy comes at a time when the NBA was already planning a public service announcement campaign with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in order to present the league as being more “gay friendly.”
So, it’s ok I guess for me to call Kobe a f**king n****r as long as it’s just in the heat of the game.