LaMelo Ball has been fined $100k by the NBA for a homophobic comment he made in a post-game interview on Saturday.
Ball’s Charlotte Hornets beat the Milwaukee Bucks in a nailbiter, 115-114, before Ball decided to use a clearly homophobic term on national television.
He was asked a question about the last play of the game, when Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo got off a last shot and missed the bucket.
“We loaded up,” Ball said. Then, out of nowhere: “No homo. But that’s what we wanted.”
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“Loaded” can have a lot of meanings. Most people would think about a rich person “loaded” with money.
Yet for some reason, Ball knows the word “loaded” associated with gay men, and in particular gay sex parties. This word does have sex connotations with many gay men. So it’s particularly curious that Ball would know that meaning of the word and refer to it on national television.
If Ball wants to embrace gay orgy culture, he’s certainly allowed. And I imagine, in many circles, encouraged.
Yet to make the crack the way he did said very clearly, “I don’t want to publicly be associated with anything remotely gay. Even if no one on earth would have taken my comment that way, without my idiot side comment.”
While Ball’s comment was clearly involving the gay community, the NBA said only that his comments were “offensive and derogatory.” The league continues to avoid saying comments are “homophobic in nature,” which is disappointing.
After being a jerk about the fine, Ball seems to have had some handlers get to him, because he then made this more-contrite statement:
“I really didn’t mean anything (by it) and don’t want to offend anybody. I’ve got love for everybody, and I don’t discriminate.”
Like the NBA, he failed to mention homophobia, the gay community, or actually address the language.
Of course, a bunch of people shared their seemingly “who cares about how the ‘woke’ gays feel” responses on social media:
Terms like “no homo” absolutely demean gay people. Terms like this tell gay athletes and fans, “I don’t want to be associated with you.” Even after a dumb throw-away line that literally no one would have connected to the gay community, if not for Ball’s ridiculous comment.
Was attacking gay men Ball’s intent? To demean gay athletes and fans? Unlikely.
Yet words like this, used even casually, very subtly tell gay people, “I don’t support you.” In a men’s basketball world that is still perceived as homophobic, that’s a problem.
Will the fine have an effect? It amounts to less than 0.3% of Ball’s Hornets salary this season, and it’s 0.05% of the $204 million 5-year contract he signed with the team.
Certainly, $100k isn’t something to scoff at. Though for LaMelo Ball, it’s not that big a deal.
The fine amount also represents a bit of an escalation by the NBA. Joakim Noah was fined $50k for a homophobic comment in 2011. Minnesota Timberwolves player Anthony Edwards was fined $40k in 2023 for a homophobic comment on social media.
Ball’s comment was during a press conference in association with the NBA, so it’s not a surprise the league took this seriously and issued a six-figure fine.
Hopefully Ball and other players learn from it and create a space where gay NBA teammates and fans feel more comfortable coming out.
Ball was the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and was an NBA All-Star in 2022.
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