Hardaway Apologizes Again for Comments About Gays

On Tuesday, Tim Hardaway explained that he wanted everyone to know once again that he does not hate gay people. Hardaway was yet again apologizing for the remarks that he made last month on a Miami radio show. It appeared that he was very sincere and felt badly about what he had said.

In the interview last month, Hardaway said that he didn't like gay people and that he believed that gay athletes should not be allowed in the same locker room heterosexuals. He was very blunt in his comments saying, "I don't like gay people," among other things.

Of course, what sparked this conversation was admission of ex-NBA player John Amaechi that he was indeed gay and had been during the time that he was in the league. This news apparently struck a chord with Hardaway and caused him to make the comments that he did. Amaechi was the first NBA player to announce that he was gay.

The next day, Hardaway had a strong apology explaining that he did not mean what he had said and that it was inappropriate. Apparently, Hardaway did not realize how big the reaction would be to his comments. The media was in a frenzy almost immediately after the comments by Hardaway and the story quickly made national news.

Tim Hardaway did say on Tuesday that he had not personally apologized to Amaechi for his remarks or spoken to him at all. His comments, after all, were not aimed only at Amaechi but all gay people. Hardaway has been very apologetic since the large outcry against him began. He has said that he would like to work with gay groups and try to learn how to be more accepting of them.

The personal losses for Hardaway have been great. He has lost quite a bit of money with not only endorsement deals, but also by having to remove his name from a business he owns himself. He has also been banned by the NBA from appearing at any related events and from having anything to do with the league. Hardaway has expressed that he would like to be involved with the NBA in the future and that he would try to work it out with Commissioner David Stern.

It will most likely take quite some time for the public to get over this ordeal. Many gay organizations have been and continue to be very vocal about their disapproval of Hardaway's comments.

Cited:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2798002