NBA star Kobe Bryant may have apologized for his homophobic language at a recent game but fomer NBA star John Amaechi, the first NBA player to come out of the closet, expressed outrage over the incident, criticizing Bryant for his use of the homophobic slur and what he believes to be a halfhearted apology from Bryant.
In a recent interview with radaronline.com, Amaechi explained that he believes Bryant failed to take responsibility for his use of the term “f—–” and that he’s making matters worse by appealing the $100,000 fine issued to him by NBA Commissioner David Stern.
“It was incredibly foolish — it made matters worse because it was really a non-apology,” said Amaechi. “Kobe Bryant who is a culture-setter in today’s society and never really fully addressed the implications of what he actually said. He seemed to be apologizing for the way people would interpret what he said, not the literal meaning of it. He did not accept full responsibility.”
As Amaechi, who played against Bryant in the late ’90s, explains, Bryant’s use of the expletive should be met with as much criticism and disdain as a non-black person’s use of the N-word.
“The term ‘f—–’ is an awful word and it should be treated as the ‘N-word.’ People should be totally marginalized by society for saying it,” he said.
Bryant originally landed himself in trouble on Tuesday night during a game against the San Antonio Spurs when he called referee Bennie Adams a “f—— f—–” on camera.
Following the incident, Bryant explained that he hopes his fans won’t “take what is said as a message of hate or a license to degrade or embarrass or tease.”
Amaechi, 40, outed himself in 2007 after writing about his homosexuality in the memoir, Man in the Middle, receiving a harsh reaction from fellow NBA alum Tim Hardaway who said “I hate gay people” and that he’d have teammates removed if they were gay.
Ironically, Bryant was one of the notable NBA players who rebuked Hardaway’s comments, stating that “it’s a struggle,” that “there’s a long way to go,” for gays to gain full acceptance.
“You have to be open-minded,” Bryant said then.
What do you think of Amaechi’s criticism of Bryant? Was Bryant’s apology halfhearted?
–nicholas robinson
