Tim Hardaway "I Hate Gay People."

[Justin24]

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2877117
http://broadband.espn.go.com/ivp/splash?id=2766138----audio

"IHate Gay People,' Says Former NBA Star Hardaway

Feb. 15, 2007 — A week after a former NBA star revealed he was gay, retired Miami Heat star Tim Hardaway made some incendiary comments about gays Wednesday on a Miami radio show.

"You know, I hate gay people," Hardaway said during an interview on "790 the Ticket."

"You know, I let it be known I don't like gay people. I don't like to be around gay people," he said.

Those in-your-face comments came just a week after another former NBA player, John Amaechi, revealed that he was gay. Amaechi told ESPN that he lived in fear that his teammates would learn of his sexuality.

"The machismo, it's an amazingly. … It's a testosterone-riddled group," Amaechi said. "And it's not just the NBA, it's professional sports."

Though Amaechi and Hardaway never played on the same basketball team, Hardaway told the sports radio show how he would react to a gay teammate.

"First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team," he said. "I think the majority of the players would ask for him to be traded or they would want to get traded."

The show's host said: "You know that what you're saying there though, Timmy, is flatly homophobic."

Hardaway replied, "I am homophobic. So yeah, I don't like it."

Overall, Amaechi seems to be getting support from NBA players, including the Miami Heat's Shaquille O'Neal.

Late Wednesday, Hardaway apologized for his comments, saying in a statement: "I want to apologize for my comments … regarding gays. My comments were offensive and I regret making them. I'm sorry to anyone I have offended."

No active NBA player has ever said that he was gay.

 

[MrPryck2U]

This is already old news and was mentioned on the NBA thread.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

this might be better off in FYM for a more logical debate...

although there isn't much logic in mr. hardaway's comments.

 

[Doozer61]

http://forum.interference.com/t172986.html

 

[DaveC]

You know, there's a funny coincidence here...I hate homophobes!


Seriously though, how does someone say this kind of thing on public airwaves and think they're going to get away with it...? Wow. The sad part was that before this, Tim Hardaway was one of the few basketball players I knew and respected.

 

[intedomine]

Remarkable...

There's probably so many other gay people in professional sports, yet they live their whole lives in denial and never confront their sexuality.

I mean, if a certain percentage of men are gay, be it 5% or whatever it is, than surely around 5% of professional sportsmen are gay?

 

[Mr. BAW]

TIM HARDAWAY HATES MY SISTER.....

 

[Chizip]

Yeah, but he's sorry

 

[Sicy]

Since there are a couple threads/areas where this is being discussed already, I'll close this one.