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Joakim Noah Fined $50K for Using Gay Slur
Chicago Bulls Center Receives Hefty Fine
Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Monday for having yelled a gay slur at a fan during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday.
Shortly after being sent to the bench early in the game, Noah was caught by TNT cameras yelling, "F*** you, f*****"" to what was very likely a Miami Heat fan.
"The fan said something that was disrespectful towards me," said Noah. "And I went back at him. Got it on camera. I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. Anybody who knows me knows that I'm not like that. I'm an open-minded guy. I said the wrong thing and I'm going to pay the consequences -- deal with the consequences -- like a man. I don't want to be a distraction to the team right now."
The NBA said that the fine was "for using a derogatory and offensive term from the bench."
LeBron James, whose Heat team defeated the Bulls 96-85 on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in the series, said, "We know what business we are in. Emotions get played. ... I don't think it was right what he said. But emotions do get said over the course of the game. We know there's going to be microphones. We know there's going to be cameras around. You just have to be cautious about what you say and just try to control your emotions as much as possible."
Noah's fine was issued just a week after Phoenix Suns president and CEO Rick Welts announced that he is gay.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's another teachable moment," said Welts. "It should generate more intelligent dialogue. We've been afraid to talk about it and we're not afraid to talk about it anymore. I'm proud that the NBA has taken the approach that it has.
"I had the pleasure of having dinner with Noah in the run-up to the draft when he came into the league and I found him to be a very humble, very kind, genuine human being. So I do have this personal connection with him and because of that I feel a little sorry for him that he finds himself in this situation. ... The intention of the words were to sting, but there has to be understanding that the words carry a weight beyond that."
(Sources: ESPN.com)
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