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Feb 15, 2007 2:29 pm US/Eastern
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Tim Hardaway: 'I Hate Gay People', S. Fla. Reacts
Click PLAY Former NBA Player John Amaechi Interview, Full Hardaway Comments
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MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Former Miami Heat superstar Tim Hardaway told a local sports radio show that he "hates gay people," and he's gotten a lot of peoples' attention especially in South Florida.
"Disgusting. Having grown up in northern florida, dealing with racism there and desegregating of schools up there,
it's unfortunate you still hear things like that on the radio," one man told CBS4's
Art Barron outside of a Coral Gables carwash that uses Hardaway's name as a draw. The manager of the carwash was away and unavailable for comment.
Hardaway made the comments while he was being interviewed by Dan Le Batard on 790 the Ticket Wednesday afternoon.
The five time All Star was asked how he would deal with a gay teammate.
"First of all I wouldn't want him on my team," said Hardaway. "Second of all, if he was on my team I would really distance myself from him because I don't think that's right and I don't think he should be in the locker room when we're in the locker room."
Le Batard took Hardaway to task, pointing out that his comments were 'flatly homophobic' and bigoted, but that only seemed to stir up the former point guard.
"Well, you know, I hate gay people," Hardaway said in response to Le Batard. "I let it be known I don't like gay people. I don't like to be around gay people. I'm homophobic. It shouldn't be in the world, in the United States, I don't like it."
Hardaway spoke to CBS4's Sports Director
Jim Berry Wednesday evening saying, "I don't condone it. If people got problems with that, i'm sorry. I'm saying i can't stand being around that person, knowing that they sleep with somebody of the same sex."
Hardaway's comments come on the heels of a groundbreaking revelation made by former player John Amaechi, who became the first professional basketball player to openly identify himself as gay.
Amaechi became only the sixth male atlhlete from one of the four major American sports (NBA,MLB,NFL,NHL) to admit he is gay.
Former NFL running back David Kopay , offensive lineman Roy Simmons and defensive lineman Esera Tuaolo just recently came out.
Glenn Burke, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland Athletics in the 1970s, and Billy Bean, a utility player in the 1980s and 1990s, have also come out.
No player has ever publicly admitted to being gay while currently playing for one of the four major American sports.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)