All it takes is one guy saying something stupid to take all the spotlight off of a big game. The latest example was last night, when Roy Hibbert made some remarks that he really should not have, almost overshadowing the fact that the Pacers have done what almost nobody expected them to do and pushed their series with the Heat to Game 7. That game is tomorrow night, so get ready everyone.
Should the Heat lose, it’ll be another case of the Championship Formula letting us all down again, which is just what Danny Schayes wrote about in his latest column. Also on Sheridan Hoops, we’ve got Jeremy Bauman taking a look at three projected first-round picks who should be good players… if they just end up on the right team.
Now let’s take a look at all the latest NBA news:
If you haven’t heard by now, Roy Hibbert made some homophobic remarks last night regarding his defense on LeBron James. Here’s a statement from Hudson Taylor of anti-homophobia advocacy organization Athlete Ally on the situation: “We are disappointed by Hibbert’s comments, as that kind of language is disrespectful, has no place in sports and is antithetical to the NBA’s policies. As an official partner of the NBA and NBPA, Athlete Ally works closely with the league on delivering trainings and workshops to educate players about LGBT inclusion and respect. The league is undoubtedly a leader in this area, and Roy’s statement of apology clearly recognizes the harms of his comments. We are confident that NBA will do its part to rectify the issue to the extent it can, comprehensively educate Hibbert, who seems genuinely apologetic, and make sure that these kinds of comments are soon a thing of the past.” Brendon Ayanbadejo added: “Hibbert’s comments show his lack of awareness on this issue. He often talks about love and seems to be a positive and caring person. I think he has potential to be an ally and I hope he takes this moment and learns from it.” Brian Ellner, a leading LGBT advocate and Athlete Ally Board Member said, “Far too many young people look up to our sports stars, especially when on a stage as big as the playoffs. We can’t emphasize enough the need for education, because instances like this are harmful to youth. At the same time, we applaud the NBA’s swift action and strong rebuke on this.” “- That “swift action and strong rebuke” came in the form of a not-insignificant fine, as Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes: “The NBA fined Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert $75,000 on Sunday for his homophobic and vulgar comments following Saturday night’s 91-77 victory in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals that forced a Game 7 series finale against the Miami Heat for Monday. “While Roy has issued an apology, which is no doubt sincere, a fine is necessary to reinforce that such offensive comments will not be tolerated by the NBA,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement. Hibbert realized his mistake Sunday morning and reached out on Twitter to Jason Collins, who recently became the first active NBA player to publicly state he is gay.”
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