NBA star speaks out after receiving huge $100,000 fine for homophobic comment

NBA star LaMelo Ball has spoken retired aft helium received a immense $100,000 (£79,000) for comments made successful a post-match interview.

The Charlotte Hornets guard made the comments aft his broadside saw retired a constrictive 115-114 location triumph implicit the Milwaukee Bucks connected Saturday.

The Hornets secured the triumph having prevented Bucks’ powerfulness guardant Giannis Antetokounmpo from scoring with the past possession of the game.

Speaking soon aft the triumph astir his team’s antiaircraft strategy for the last play, Ball told reporters: ‘Yeah, we loaded up [in defence] – nary homo.

‘But that’s what we wanted. Put the manus up, and past conscionable unrecorded with the results.’

Ball has been fixed the maximum good imaginable nether existent guidelines, with the NBA labelling the comments arsenic ‘offensive and derogatory’ successful a statement.

The 23-year-old was speedy to apologise for his comments, telling reporters aft Sunday’s 128-114 nonaccomplishment to the Cleveland Cavaliers: ‘I truly didn’t mean thing and don’t privation to offend anybody.

‘I’ve got emotion for everybody, and I don’t discriminate,’ helium added.

Hornets caput manager Charles Lee, meanwhile, said the organisation had spoken to Ball regarding his comments.

‘As an organisation, that is evidently not thing we condone,’ helium 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. 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. He decidedly said going forward, ‘I’m going to beryllium better,’ and I privation to spot that happen

‘So for idiosyncratic to usage those words and accidental that retired of his mouth, we volition marque definite to clasp him accountable to that.’

Anthony Edwards was antecedently $40,000 (£31,500) in 2022 for utilizing homophobic connection connected Instagram, portion Kevin Durant was slapped with a $50,000 (£39,500) good the twelvemonth anterior aft backstage messages containing homophobic and misogynistic slurs were leaked.

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