The Los Angeles Lakers on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating antigay slurs.
"We want to reaffirm our commitment to all our fans and our appreciation for the support we receive from all segments of society," Lakers vice president of public relations John Black said.
He made the remarks after Laker guard Kobe Bryant was fined 100,000 dollars by the NBA Wednesday for directing an obscene antigay slur at referee Bennie Adams, who had just called a technical foul against him during Tuesday night's 102-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
"What happened in Tuesday night's game is not representative of what the Lakers stand for," Black said.
"We also understand the importance of positive messages in helping us convey this. We appreciate the input we've received from GLAAAD (the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) the past two days and will look forward to working with them on ways to help educate ourselves and our fans and to help keep language like this out of game," he said.
Bryant made another apology on Friday, calling what he said "just stupid and ignorant."
"In this situation, seeing how many people were affected, it helps you understand the weight that comes from that word," Bryant said on the syndicated radio show "The Dan Patrick Show."
"That's why it's very important for me to communicate how sorry I am to use the word," he said.
Bryant issued two apologies Wednesday, then apologized in an interview on "Mason & Ireland" on KSPN-AM (710).
Earlier Friday, Lakers and the GLAAD announced they will work together to eliminate antigay slurs.
GLAAAD President Jarrett Barrios said the slur creates "a real opportunity to build support for our community and educate fans of Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA about the use of such words."
"The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a positive step and we look forward to working with them to create messages from players and coaches that combat bullying," Barrios said.
"We also suggested and will continue to advocate for zero tolerance policies for antigay slurs at home games, similar to what the New York Yankees adopted last year," he said.
GLAAD officials will also meet with NBA officials "to discuss ways to send a message about the power of such words to the league' s audience, many of whom are young people, parents or educators," Barrios said.
Source: China.org.cn - China news
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