Lakers guard Kobe Bryant issued the following statement today in response to feedback regarding a comment made during last night's game:UPDATE 2: GLAAD reports that the NBA has fined Bryant $100K."What I said last night should not be taken literally. My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings towards the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone."
NBA Commissioner David Stern announced today that Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant will be fined $100,000 for his "offensive and inexcusable" anti-gay comment during last night's game.UPDATE 3: HRC says that Bryant offered a more substatial apology to the community via Joe Solmonese."Kobe and everyone associated with the NBA know that insensitive or derogatory comments are not acceptable and have no place in our game or society," said Stern.
Tonight, in a pre-game phone call to Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese, Bryant apologized for using the homophobic slur. Bryant expressed understanding and regret for how his words were hurtful and could be used by some to discriminate.***"I applaud Kobe Bryant for his swift apology," said Solmonese. "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."
Sean Chapin made the following video in response to Kobe Bryant calling referee Bennie Adams a f*cking f*ggot:
There is a Facebook page to tell Kobe to apologize here. Other responses:
HRC:
"What a disgrace for Kobe Bryant to use such horribly offensive and distasteful language, especially when millions of people are watching. Hopefully Mr. Bryant will recognize that as a person with such fame and influence, the use of such language not only offends millions of LGBT people around the world, but also perpetuates a culture of discrimination and hate that all of us, most notably Mr. Bryant, should be working to eradicate. Bryant and the Lakers have a responsibility to speak up on this issue immediately. America is watching."GLAAD:TMZ has the footage up on its website.
"Discriminatory slurs have no place on or off the court," said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. "Professional sports players need to set a better example for young people who use words like this on the playground and in our schools, creating a climate of intolerance and hostility. The LA Lakers have a responsibility to educate their fans about why this word is unacceptable."GLAAD has reached out to the L.A. Lakers and will provide updates on GLAADBlog.org as they become available.
Recently, GLAAD has worked with sports groups including the New York Yankees, the World Wrestling Federation (WWE) and the Hershey Bears to address issues of homophobia in sports. The Hershey Bears, top minor league affiliate of the Washington Capitals, told GLAAD this week the team would be taking steps to put a stop to anti-gay taunts from fans.