As we have all probably seen by now, former NBA player John Amaechi announced to the world that he is gay. Following his announcement, the world of sports was filled with questions regarding how athletes, both past and present, would react to having a gay teammate. While the overwhelming majority of responses have been positive, there have been some that have openly denounced the notion of playing alongside a gay teammate. Of course the most widely talked about is former NBA player Tim Hardaway's comment that he "hates gay people."
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Following Hardaway's comments, the NBA was left wondering how to handle such statements from a PR perspective. The league began by making Hardaway issue an apology which seemed transparent and staged. But what really got people's attention was the NBA's decision to ban Hardaway from his upcoming duties at the NBA All-Star game and, for the time being, any subsequent appearance he was planned to make.
Was this the proper course of action for a league that is desperately trying to show the world they are supportive of players from any walk of life?
While I believe it is an effective place to start, only time will tell how it effects the league's image in America. What must be kept in mind is that it is NOT the NBA's job to educate it's players on the "correct" way to think about any group of individuals, including gays. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, including Tim Hardaway, and free to express their views. What does concern the NBA is its' association with someone who "hates gay people." It becomes the job of the PR leg of the NBA to make clear they are not a league of bigots that allows intolerance of any group, and I think they have done so. They handled a very delicate issue with care and were able to show the world his comments are not indicative of the views of the league.
Although I won't say it often, I will say it now.... good work David Stern
All the best,
ben
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4 comments:
hmm...there seems to be lots of anti gay talk these days...he and Isaiah Washington should get together. What next I wonder...
Great job with the audio clip, Ben!
What I think is most amazing was John Amaechi'e response to Hardaway's comments. He said he was glad Hardaway came out and said what he said because it allowed everyone to see how much intolerance there is in the world. He said he was afraid America had gotten to the point where we thought we were tolerant of gays. This instance proves some of us still aren't.
Good for people to know.
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