(Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
Earlier this week, Amar’e Stoudamire of the Knicks found himself in a bit of a PR battle. He allegedly sent a fan a DM on Twitter after the fan tweeted him letting him know he needed to come back next season stronger and better. Amar’e told him off while giving the fan a piece of his mind, which included a gay slur.
Today, Stoudamire was fined $50,000 by NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Stu Jackson “for using offensive and derogatory language in a Twitter message,” the league announced this afternoon.
Amar’e gave a statement after apologizing to the fan and said “I am a huge supporter of civil rights for all people. I am disappointed in myself for my statement to a fan,” Stoudemire said in his statement. “I should have known better and there is no excuse.”
This is the third time the NBA has fined players for using gay slurs. In the 2010-11 Regular Season, Lakers star Kobe Bryant was fined $100K after calling NBA Official Bennie Adams a “Fa**ot” and in the same Season’s Playoffs Bulls big-man Joakim Noah was fined for the same word choice.
Although Stat apologized to the fan, the NBA still stepped in and got their point across. They won’t accept this type of behavior from the players that represent their league – and they shouldn’t.
Follow us on Twitter @OCNNReport
OCNN Sports Columnist – Justin Arbogast @NFLGuy_SK
