Kobe Bryant: NBA Hits Kobe with $100k Fine for Uttering Homophobic Slur
Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was captured on national television on Tuesday muttering a homophobic slur at referee Bennie Adams after receiving a technical foul against the San Antonio Spurs.
Now he must cough up $100,000 after being fined by the NBA on Wednesday for his actions.
The incident gained widespread attention throughout the nation, prompting the Human Rights Campaign—which fights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality—to issue a statement demanding the Lakers address the issue.
Bryant has since come out with a statement, noting his comment should "not be taken literally."
Via the LA Times:
""My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period," his statement read. "The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings towards the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone."
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In addition to wondering if Bryant is starting to have a mental breakdown, I'm also curious as to how this will affect the officiating come the playoffs, especially from the probably-shocked Adams.
Especially because Bryant is planning on appealing the fine, via TMZ.com, calling it "standard protocol."
Of course, you never expect referees to give a call or two to the other side, but remember what former referee Tim Donaghy wrote in his book, Blowing the Whistle (via Deadspin.com):
"Allen Iverson provides a good example of a player who generated strong reaction, both positive and negative, within the corps of NBA referees. For instance, veteran referee Steve Javie hated Allen Iverson and was loathe [sic] to give him a favorable call. If Javie was on the court when Iverson was playing, I would always bet on the other team to win or at least cover the spread. No matter how many times Iverson hit the floor, he rarely saw the foul line.
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As deplorable as Donaghy's gambling on games was, his book revealed something fans and players have long since wondered: Do unlikeable stars get the shaft by referees?
Given what transpired between Bryant and Adams, I guess we will see.
