Kobe uses Homophobic slur-gets hit with fine.

Where were you on Tuesday night when the Lakers ended there 5-game losing streak against the Spurs? Well that was not the highlight of the game. Kobe and his Lakers seemed to struggle against the Spur's bench, no less, but things got heated in the 3rd Quarter when Bryant was given a technical foul. This is when Kobe in frustration let's out the slur heard around the world! After recieving the technical foul, Bryant stormed back to the bench, punched a chair and directed a derogatory slur towards referee Bennie Adams. "You fucking F*ggot."

The remark was not audible to television viewers, but it was clear what Bryant said. TNT analyst Steve Kerr even commented, “You might want to take the camera off him right now for the children watching at home."




Well that little snafu will dip into Bryant's pockets, just a bit. The NBA has fined Bryant $100,000 for the gay slur.

The Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group, told TMZ, "What a disgrace for Kobe Bryant to use such horribly offensive and distasteful language, especially when millions of people are watching." Byrant’s outburst “perpetuates a culture of discrimination and hate,” the group added.

Bryant spoke with HRC president Joe Solmonese prior to the Lakers' game at Sacramento on Wednesday and apologized for what he said. Solmonese had criticized Bryant for not expressing remorse.


"What I said last night should not be taken literally," Bryant said in a statement. "My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period.

"The words expressed do not reflect my feelings towards the gay & lesbian communities & were not meant to offend anyone."


"We had a very sincere conversation in which he expressed his heartfelt regret for the hurt that his words caused," Salmonese said in a statement. "He told me that it's never OK to degrade or tease, and that he understands how his words could unfortunately give the wrong impression that this is appropriate conduct. At the end of a difficult day, I applaud Kobe for coming forward and taking responsibility for his actions."

We all know what its like to be in a frustrating situation and things come out that we don't really mean.  But are such outbursts excusable, particularly when the perpetrator is a highly respected figure in the spotlight?  In certain instances, one should know how to keep calm under pressure.  Bryant has been in the league for quite some time and has been under stressful situations.  You would think he would know how to handle himself under pressure.  Had this been a situation where an official hurled a racial slur against a Black player, there would be far reaching effects.  Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson would be on the 1st plane to the scene of the 'crime'.  That maybe a bit of a stretch, but you get the point I am making. 
Will this effect how people see Kobe?  Most likely not.  He will pay the fine and all will be happy again in NBA land, but there is going to come a time where celebrities and the like become responsible for the things they say and do in public.  They should not be excused or given 'passes' because of their celebrity status.