The NBA fined Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert $75,000 for using profanity and a gay slur during a postgame news conference on Saturday. The remarks came following the Pacers 91-77 victory over the Miami Heat.
"I am apologizing for insensitive remarks made during the postgame press conference after our victory over Miami Saturday night," Hibbert said in a statement. "They were disrespectful and offensive and not a reflection of my personal views. I used a slang term that is not appropriate in any setting, private or public, and the language I used definitely has no place in a public forum, especially over live television. I apologize to those who I have offended, to our fans and to the Pacers' organization."
Hibbert made the slur in a profanity-laced rant after the game to reporters. He spoke about a key defensive play he made during Game 6 while guarding Miami's LeBron James, CBS Sports reports.
"The momentum could have shifted right there if [James] got an easy dunk," Hibbert said. "There was what -- was it Game 3 here? I really felt that I let (George) Paul down in terms of having his back when LeBron was scoring in the post or getting to the paint, because they stretched me out so much. No homo."
"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," Commissioner David Stern said in a statement.
The NBA doesn't tolerate any homophobic remarks. Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 last spring for using a gay slur against a referee. Hibbert's use of profanity during the same news conference was also included in the fine.
"...Ya'll (expletive) don't watch us play throughout the year to tell you the truth," Hibbert told reporters on Saturday. "So that's fine. I'm going to be real with you, and I don't care if I get fined. We play and we're not on TV all of the time and reporters are the ones that are voting and it is what it is. And I don't make it, that's fine. I'm still going to do what I have to do."
Indiana faces Miami in Game 7 on Monday. The team is ready to move on and look ahead to their next game.
"Obviously, he made a great mistake. He feels horribly about it," Pacers coach Frank Vogel told reporters. "I told him, basically, that we've got to move on from it."
