NBA veteran reflects on ‘I hate gay people’ comment: “I had to evolve as a man”

Miami Heat legend Tim Hardaway Sr. reflected on his past views about gay NBA players and said that he has since changed his stance on the issue.

NBA veteran reflects on ‘I hate gay people’ comment: “I had to evolve as a man”

Miami Heat and NBA legend Tim Hardaway Sr.

The world has come a long way where people of all s*xual preferences, races, and beliefs coexist in a harmonious environment. Not long ago, people not only looked down on others’ s*xual preferences and beliefs, but it also provoked aggressive reactions. Former Miami Heat star Tim Hardaway Sr. once had an aggressive reaction that ended up turning his life upside down.

The Hall of Famer was a guest on the All the Smoke podcast, where he was asked by host Matt Barnes about his evolution as a man. In reply, Hardaway Sr. stated that he did not hide from his remarks in the past and that he has since changed as a person. He also acknowledged that he was wrong and that he had to change his outlook on people.

Each day is an experience for me. And I never discount what I said that really hurt me and hurt my family. And I had to really, really dig deep down and search. I understood I was wrong. I had to evolve as a man. Everybody should have fun and enjoy themselves, no matter who they are and what they are.

Tim Hardaway Sr. said

In 2007, a few years after he retired from the NBA, the former All-NBA star was a guest on a Miami radio show hosted by Dan Le Batard. When the topic of gay player John Amaechi came up, Hardaway Sr. openly admitted that he ‘hated’ gay people. He also suggested that he would not want to share a locker room with a gay player. Later on, various reasons forced him to understand how his views were wrong.

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Tim Hardaway Sr. on the state of his Miami Heat

Further along the discussion with Tim Hardaway Sr., co-host Stephen Jackson asked him about his former coach Pat Riley and the Miami Heat. The former All-Star said that he was expecting a statement from Riley after how their season ended.

“Pat gonna talk this year. He’s tired of a lot of things that’s going on with the team. He’s tired of Jimmy Butler. If Jimmy didn’t say nothing, it would have been alright. All Miami Heat people understood where Pat Riley was coming from.”

With the Heat Culture in place, many expect them to contest the NBA playoffs as one of the favorites However, since they did not do so, Hardaway Sr. expects some serious changes next season. He said that Riley will monitor the team’s progress this year and take a call in the next offseason. He also opined that Jimmy Butler’s time in Miami is coming to an end.