Joakim Noah has apologised for the outburst Chicago Bulls centre Joakim Noah has been fined US$50,000 (NZ$63,000) for calling a fan a 'faggot' from the bench during the first quarter of game three of the Eastern Conference finals. The NBA player apologised directly after the incident and again at the team's hotel the following day. "I just want to apologize," Noah said. "I had just picked up my second foul. I was frustrated. He said something that was disrespectful toward me, and I lost my cool. People who know me know I'm an open-minded guy. I'm not here to hurt anybody's feelings. I'm just here to help win a basketball game. "Sometimes fans say things that are overboard. But it's on us not to react. If you react, they win. And I did. It was a bad decision on my part." Noah wouldn't reveal what the fan had said to provoke him insult, however several players told the Chicago Tribune the fan had used profanity regarding Noah's mother, among other insults. And teammates passionately defended Noah, saying the fan was drunk and should have been thrown out of the stadium. Lakers star Kobe Bryant drew a US$100,000 fine and a strongly worded rebuke from Commissioner David Stern last month for using the same derogatory term to abuse official Bennie Adams. "Last month the NBA sent an important message about how such slurs fuel a climate of intolerance and are unacceptable," says Jarrett Barrios from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "These anti-gay remarks, coming so soon after, demonstrate how much needs to be done." Watch a video of Noah's apology below:
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 24th May 2011 - 2:16pm