Amar'e Stoudemire said that he'd rather shower somewhere else if he knew he had a gay teammate. It was a shockingly homophobic statement from the former NBA star now playing in Israel.Stoudemire and his teammates on Hapoel Jerusalem were asked by Walla Sport, an Israeli website, what their reaction would be if they had a gay teammate. While his teammates all said they wouldn't have any issue with it, Stoudemire didn't echo them."I'm gonna shower across the street," he said. "I'm gonna make sure my change of clothes are around the corner. And I'm gonna drive—take a different route to the gym."Stoudemire had a possible chance to put the toothpaste back in the tube when the interviewer followed up on his statement, but he responded: "I mean, there's always a truth within a joke."This is not the first time Stoudemire has gotten himself in trouble for homophobic statements. He was fined $50,000 by the NBA in 2012 for using a gay slur in response to a fan in a direct message on Twitter."I am a huge supporter of civil rights for all people," he said back then. "I am disappointed in myself for my statement to a fan. I should have known better and there is no excuse."That apology now looks pretty empty. Stoudemire hasn't tried to clarify his comments over the last day, either—VICE Sports has asked his publicist for comment, but has not gotten a response yet—and it's highly unlikely that an after-the-fact statement would somehow vindicate him. Even if he was making a joke, why bother making it? His own explanation twists the knife and leaves little room to grant him the benefit of the doubt. Stoudemire is letting his words speak for themselves.
Advertisement