Amare Stoudemire may not be the NBA all-star he once was but that doesn't mean he can't make the headlines. Reports of recent comments made by the former NBA rookie of the year may bring accusations of homophobia.
Amare Stoudemire is currently playing for Hapoel Jerusalem, a team which he co-owns since 2016. He and as well as his teammates were asked if they would have a problem with a gay teammate as reported by The Washington Post. All of them said that they would not while one player said that he wouldn't have a problem as long that the gay teammate wouldn't "mess with him."
On the other hand, Amare Stoudemire had a different reaction for a gay teammate. According to the former NBA player, he would take certain precautions if he did have a gay teammate.
The first of which would involve Amare Stoudemire taking a shower across the street with his clothes within arms reach at all times. Moreover, Amare would drive and take a different route to the gym.
Amare Stoudemire was smiling when he responded to the question which prompted reporters to ask whether his comments were a joke. Stoudemire responded by saying that there is "always a truth within a joke."
By admitting that there is truth in his statements, Amare Stoudemire has opened himself to accusations of homophobia. But then again, this isn't surprising as Stoudemire has his history of homophobia.
In 2012, while still playing for the New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire was fined $50,000 by the NBA for a homophobic slur directed toward a Twitter user. To make matters worse, the incident happened during the NBA's Gay Pride weekend according to the New York Daily. Amare Stoudemire apologized for the incident saying that he was disappointed with himself and that there is no excuse for what he did.
Apparently, Amare Stoudemire still hasn't learned from the incident as he continues to make homophobic statements. It's ironic how Stoudemire a recipient of the Martin Luter King Jr. award which honors individuals promoting ethnic and cultural understanding would make such statements.
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