Amar’e Stoudemire fined $50,000 by NBA for using gay slur in Twitter exchange with NY Knicks fan
All-Star power forward says there is ‘no excuse’ for his actions. Lakers star Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 for directing similar language at a referee.
By Mitch Lawrence / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Amar’e Stoudemire’s use of a gay slur in Tweet over the weekend cost the Knicks’ superstar $50,000.
The NBA announced the fine Tuesday, citing Stoudemire for using “using offensive and derogatory language,’’ according to Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
Stoudemire released a statement Tuesday:
“I am a huge supporter of civil rights for all people,” Stoudemire said in a statement. “I am disappointed in myself for my statement to a fan. I should have known better and there is no excuse.”
Stoudemire became the latest NBA player to run afoul of the league’s zero-tolerance policy for players who use anti-gay derogatory words. In response to Knick fan Brian Ferrelli’s Tweet on Saturday that said he needed to come back “a lot stronger and quicker to make up for this past season,’’ Stoudemire Tweeted, “F--- you! I don’t have to do anything f--.’’
Stoudemire apologized after his comment went viral, but that doesn’t make any difference with the NBA. What made his remark all the more outlandish is that he made it during Gay Pride weekend.
The tweet brought embarrassment to the league and the Knicks less than two months after Stoudemire severely lacerated his left hand as he punched a glass fire extinguisher door after the Knicks lost Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Heat in Miami. The self-inflicted wound forced him to miss the next game as the Knicks lost in five to the eventual-champion Heat.
Stoudemire’s penalty matched the NBA’s punishment when the Bulls’ Joakim Noah yelled the same gay slur that Stoudemire used at a fan in Miami during a playoff game last season. Noah was also cited for using “a derogatory and offensive term.”
But Stoudemire and Noah’s penalty was half of what the league hit Kobe Bryant with a month earlier. In addition to being fined $100,000, the Lakers’ superstar also received a strong public rebuke from David Stern for using the same derogatory word Noah used, against a league referee, Bennie Adams.
Although Bryant said his comment was a result of venting his anger at Adams and should not have been taken literally, the league still dropped the hammer since one of it’s referee was the target.
The NBA has been aggressively trying to stop the use of anti-gay language and trash talking among its players. To draw attention to its mission, the league has been airing public service ad campaigns for the past several seasons with the message, “think before you speak.”
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