Lakers’ star Kobe Bryant fined $100K by NBA for anti-gay slur directed at referee

Los Angeles Lakers star player Kobe Bryant has been fined $100,000 for the anti-gay remarks he made during a game recently.

The National Basketball Association had asked the 13-time All-Star Lakers guard to pay the fine when he was caught by television cameras directing the anti-gay slur at a referee during the game early this week.

The incident occurred when the referee gave Kobe a technical foul during the game against San Antonio last Tuesday and the five-time champion was not too happy about it.

The NBA found the comments made by Kobe as “offensive and inexcusable”.

“While I’m fully aware that basketball is an emotional game, such a distasteful term should never be tolerated,” Reuters quoted NBA Commissioner David Stern as saying in a statement.

The league official added, "Kobe and everyone associated with the NBA know that insensitive or derogatory comments are not acceptable and have no place in our game or society."

Gay rights organizations, who had earlier criticized Bryant’s remarks hailed the action made by the league.

"We applaud Commissioner Stern and the NBA for not only fining Bryant but for recognizing that slurs and derogatory comments have no place on the basketball court or in society at large," Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said, according to the Associated Press.

The group expressed confidence that Stern’s strong hands on the matter can help promote awareness that the ‘hateful outburst’ like what was displayed by Kobe should not be tolerated.

Solmonese said, "We hope such swift and decisive action will send a strong and universal message that this kind of hateful outburst is simply inexcusable no matter what the context."

The group then call for apology from the Lakers star player.

"And the right thing to do now is to apologize and take responsibility for suggesting that the worst thing you can do to someone is to scream out a gay slur. This kind of homophobic outburst has dangerous consequences, even more so when it comes from a celebrity in the national spotlight."

Watch Bryant explosive emotions at the Tuesday game against San Antonio.

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