Former NBA Star Tim Hardaway Apologizes For Homophobic Comment
Former Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway apologized for comments he made in 2007. Hardaway proudly declared he was homophobic at the time and that gay people “shouldn’t be in the world," according to LGBTQ Nation.
Despite Hardaway’s attempts to limit the damage, the backlash was swift. The then-NBA commissioner, David Stern, banned Hardaway from making appearances on behalf of the team and the internet reacted with outrage.
After John Amaechi – a former player – came out as gay, a reporter asked Hardaway if he would accept a gay player on his team.
“Well, you know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known,” Hardaway said. “I don’t like gay people. I don’t like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don’t like it. It shouldn’t be in the world… or in the United States.”
Later, he said, “It was just a comment, that’s what it was to me. It’s over with. I don’t think about it […] When you say something positive, they don’t write anything positive in the paper. Whatever people say now is taken out of context. Everybody is blowing stuff up. What can you do? People in the media need to start writing positive stuff.”
Hardaway now says he’s grown beyond the homophobia, which was engrained in his childhood and church life.
“I grew up in a church, and that’s the way churches were – they instilled in you that [homosexuality] wasn’t the way you should be,” Hardaway told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I was just taught differently. Don’t talk to them, don’t mess with them, leave them alone. I never tried to talk bad about them or do hateful stuff. It was just my upbringing in church. But I’ll tell you this: It was so wrong of me, and people have suffered. I had to grow up and really do some soul-searching. What I said was just hurtful.”
Over the years, Hardaway has proven his evolution on LGBTQ+ equality. When player Jason Collins came out, he showed support. He also supported same-sex marriage rights. But he still struggled to escape the cloud of his past homophobic comments.
Read related myGwork articles here:
Italy's Fabio Fognini Apologises For Use Of Anti-Gay Slur In Tennis Loss At Summer Olympics
Hollyoaks Star Adam Woodward Apologises After Commenting On An Anti-LGBT+ Photo
Rapper DaBaby Apologises For HIV Comments As Boohoo Drops Him
High School In The U.S. Apologises For Misgendering & Deadnaming Trans Homecoming Royalty
Keep up to date with the latest myGnews
