Epress.am News from Armenia
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has been slapped with a $100,000 fine for using a gay slur, directed toward referee Bennie Adams, after being issued a technical foul during Tuesday night’s win over the Spurs, according to several reports on Twitter, reports Sporting News.
“Insensitive or derogatory comments … have no place in our game,” NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement.
The remark was not audible to television viewers, but it was clear what Bryant said. TNT analyst Steve Kerr even commented, “You might want to take the camera off him right now for the children watching at home.”
The Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group, told TMZ, “What a disgrace for Kobe Bryant to use such horribly offensive and distasteful language, especially when millions of people are watching.” Byrant’s outburst “perpetuates a culture of discrimination and hate,” the group added.
Bryant spoke with HRC president Joe Solmonese prior to the Lakers’ game at Sacramento on Wednesday and apologized for what he said. Solmonese had criticized Bryant for not expressing remorse.
“We had a very sincere conversation in which he expressed his heartfelt regret for the hurt that his words caused,” Salmonese said in a statement. “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.”
Earlier Wednesday, Bryant acknowledged that he made the slur.
“What I said last night should not be taken literally,” Bryant said in a statement. “My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period.
“The words expressed do not reflect my feelings towards the gay & lesbian communities & were not meant to offend anyone.”
Bryant’s statement was not enough to satisfy the HRC, which noted that Bryant failed to apologize.
“For better or worse, Kobe Bryant has created a teachable moment for the millions of fans – many of them young – who saw that outburst on the floor,” said HRC president Joe Solmonese. “And the right thing to do now is to apologize and take responsibility for suggesting that the worst thing you can do to someone is to scream out a gay slur. This kind of homophobic outburst has dangerous consequences, even more so when it comes from a celebrity in the national spotlight.”
This isn’t the first time that Bryant has come under fire. As reported last year, Armenian-American fans booed the Lakers guard’s endorsement deal with Turkish Airlines, which has signed him on as its “global brand ambassador” for the next two years. Members of the Armenian community say Bryant shouldn’t advertise a company of a country that has not recognized the Armenian Genocide.