Joakim Noah has apologized for shouting a homophobic slur at a Miami Heat fan during Game 3 of the Bulls vs. Heat series. The NBA later announced a $50,000 fine.
VIDEO: Joakim Noah’s Gay Slur Discussed On ESPN To Much Head-Scratching
Joakim Noah’s homophobic slur is obviously one of the NBA’s hottest topics, and viewed in the larger context of gay rights efforts and the sports world’s lurching progress in that realm, it’s disappointing both as an individual act and a sign that prejudice isn’t so easily cordoned off.
Noah’s reputation as one of the NBA’s more thoughtful, open-minded players precedes him, and the unstated subtext of that and his multicultural New York City upbringing is that he’s one of the more liberal NBA players. So when f----t comes out of Noah’s mouth, it comes as a shock: supposedly enlightened players aren’t supposed to be tossing out the same slurs that renowned jerks Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant did. And that should prompt questions about whether the problem of anti-gay language extends beyond just the NBA’s jerks.
Read Article >Joakim Noah Explains Gay Slur Outburst, Again Apologizes
Joakim Noah’s Gay Slur Fine Half Kobe Bryant’s Due To Target Not Being Referee
According to CBSSports.com’s Matt Moore, it’s the target that matters here. Some will conclude that the going rate for being caught using a hate term on a NBA court is now $50,000, as the difference between the two fines was for “discipline for verbal abuse of a game official” according to an email Moore received from a league spokesman.
Note that the league spokesman did not go through line items to produce that $50,000 figure.
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