WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

Former NBA Star Hardaway Makes Anti-Gay Statements on Talk Show

Feb 14, 2007

Miami — Retired Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway said on a radio show Wednesday that he would not want a gay player on his team, would ask for him to be traded, and went so far as to say: “I don't like gay people.''

“So I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States.''

Hardaway was a guest on a sports talk radio show hosted by Boston Herald columnist Dan Le Batard. At the end of the interview, Le Batard asked Hardaway how he would deal with a gay player, in light of last week's disclosure by retired NBA center John Amaechi that he is gay.

''First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team,'' Hardaway replied. “And second of all, if he was on my team, I would really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that is right. I don't think he should be in the locker room while we are in the locker room. But stuff like that is going on and there's a lot of other people I hear that are like that and still in the closet and don't want to come out of the closet, but you know I just leave that alone.''

Hardaway said he would ask for the player to be traded or to be bought out of his contract if he had a gay teammate.

''Something has to give,'' he said. “And I think the majority of players would ask for him to be traded or they would want to be traded. Or buy him out of his contract and just let him go. Something has to give. If you have 12 other ballplayers in your locker room that are upset and can't concentrate and always worried about him in the locker room or on the court it's going to be hard for your teammates to win and accept him as a teammate.''

Since Amaechi's news came out, most of the players and coaches quoted by national press outlets, including Heat center Shaquille O'Neal, were supportive of Amaechi and said they would not be bothered by a gay teammate.

Previously, the strongest statement made publically about homosexuals playing in the NBA came from Philadelphia 76ers forward and former Duke player Shavlik Randolph, who said he would be fine with a gay teammate as long as a player did not bring his “gayness” on him.

When asked what he’d do if the gay player were a great player, Hardaway replied: “If he were that great something would still have to give.

“People would feel uncomfortable with that. If you're not gay, nobody in that locker room would feel comfortable with that person on your team.''