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During a Laker/Spurs game the other night, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant called referee Bennie Adams a “fucking faggot” while arguing a call. The NBA immediately fined him $100,000 for the use of a “homophobic slur”. But did anybody ask if Bryant was just angrily asking the ref for a cigarette? I think we’re jumping to conclusions here.TMZ reports:
Kobe Bryant just wrapped up a live interview on ESPN radio — where he said he plans to appeal the $100k fine issued by the league for dropping a homophobic slur during last night’s game … but he never squarely apologized for calling the ref a “f**king f**got.” Kobe said the decision to appeal the fine is “standard protocol.” Kobe also said, “The concern that I have is for those that follow what I say … look to me as a role model .. for them not to take what was said as a message of hate or a license to degrade … or to embarrass or tease … because that’s something I don’t wanna see have happen.” Kobe stated he plans to talk to gay rights groups. Kobe said his message to people is, “It’s OK to be who you are.”
Of course Perez has already jumped on this like a cotton candy dick (see, now that’s how you do a homophobic slur) and GLAAD and other human rights groups have demanded apologies, but damn, you can’t call someone a faggot when you’re mad anymore? I’m pretty sure Kobe wasn’t outing the ref on national television or insinuating that the ref has a butt plug. He got pissed about a call and said the same thing he probably said in 8th grade. Big deal. You get mad, you say shit, you’re over it. Kobe doesn’t need to worry about if some guy in a sarong is gonna clutch his pearls after he hears somebody say faggot. And what people don’t seem to get is that Kobe really didn’t have to apologize to GLAAD or defend himself, because if you think the NBA would even dream about publicly reprimanding him in any sort of formal statement, good luck with that. Kobe makes $100K before he takes a piss in the morning. If he wanted to, he could write this every single day until he retires and he’ll still be a first ballot Hall Of Famer.
