LaMelo Ball breaks his silence after being handed $100k fine for 'anti-gay' interview comment

LaMelo Ball spoke implicit the play for the archetypal clip since helium was handed a $100,000 good for making a homophobic comment during a postgame interview.

When speaking connected Saturday astir the Hornets' defence connected Giannis Antetokounmpo during the last possession of a Charlotte win, Ball said, 'We loaded up – nary homo.'

The pursuing night, pursuing a nonaccomplishment to the Cavaliers, Ball said helium 'didn't mean thing by' his remarks.

'Before we get started, I conscionable privation to code the remark yesterday,' helium told reporters. 'I truly didn´t mean thing (by it) and don´t privation to offend anybody. I've got emotion for everybody, and I don´t discriminate.'

In its connection announcing Ball's good - the maximum magnitude allowed by league rules - the NBA called Ball's words 'offensive and derogatory.'

Nonetheless, Hornets manager Charles Lee insisted connected Sunday that Ball was 'very apologetic' implicit the remarks.

'As an organization, that is evidently not thing we condone,' Lee said. 'Our standards and what is required of our players successful the situation we make is truly important to us.'

'I spoke to Melo and he's evidently precise apologetic,' helium continued. 'From what I've seen since I've been astir him, helium loves everyone. He's a joyousness to person astir the installation and it's not typically however helium operates. He and I talked astir the seriousness of the concern and however helium needs to behaviour himself going forward.'

Lee was assured Ball would support his word.

'He and I talked astir it and helium decidedly said going forward, `I´m going to beryllium better,´and I privation to spot that happen,' Lee said. 'So for idiosyncratic to usage those words and accidental that retired of his mouth, we volition marque definite to clasp him accountable to that.'  

Notably, Nets defender Cam Thomas was fined significantly little for saying the aforesaid remark successful 2023, at $40,000.

Five years earlier, Nuggets star Nikola Jokic besides got a $25,000 fine from the league for saying 'no homo' astatine a clip erstwhile the Serbian-born halfway was inactive improving his English.