LeBron James on John Amaechi

[Piotr Rasputin]

From USA today:

"With teammates you have to be trustworthy, and if you're gay and you're not admitting that you are, then you are not trustworthy," James said. "So that's like the No. 1 thing as teammates: We all trust each other. You've heard of the in-room, locker-room code. What happens in the locker room stays in there."

Ah, I see. So being homosexual is something that must be "admitted" to? Like a crime? An if you don't share your sexuality with the dudes you work with, that's "untrustworthy"?

Classic stuff. Social commentary.

 

[Trouser_Buddah]

He articulated that quite well.

 

[Oz]

"With teammates you have to be trustworthy, and if you're gay and you're not admitting that you are, then you are not trustworthy," James said.

Maybe nobody asked him, so he never had to "admit" anything, LeBron.

 

[DisembodiedOwlHead]

Do the other teammates "admit" they're straight?

"I'm LeBron, and I like to fork women. Just clearing that up."

 

[Norman Stansfield]

Let's get a 1-on-1 game going between LeBron and Tyrus Thomas.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

If a woman were to say she didn't want a man sharing a shower with her on a sports team, she wouldn't be called neanderthal.

Yet if a man articulates that about people who are sexually aroused by male gender, it's cretin lunacy.

I don't get that.

I know, I'm fetching beers.

 

[Pringle]

I don't know why we sould expect Lebron James to have a sophisticated worldview concerning human sexual orientation at age 21 or whatever he is, plus be able to articulate (yes, ARTICULATE) his position like a top statesman. Did all of you? I know I didn't.

These guys are athletes, not social theorists. Of course I understand why they should be asked about the STORY OF THE DAY! And I get that even when the answers are this uncouth, it's revealing about the pro athlete's state of mind.

But walking into a locker room and asking questions about things like this yields no more insight than if one were to walk into a sports bar or a Wal-Mart or a convenience store. It's a cross-section of society. Some sophisticated people. Some not. Some liberals. Some conservatives. A great many who could give a shirt.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I must admit I feel badly when some former player comes out of the closet and then every reporter thinks they need to ask the current crop what they think about it and how they would feel if one of their teammates were gay.

If a player is fine with it, it never makes the news. If a player makes a moronic comment like James did, they get ripped...

I would argue that it's not a fair question...

 

[Yawn]

Do the other teammates "admit" they're straight?

"I'm LeBron, and I like to fork women. Just clearing that up."

They do it by their ACTIONS.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Wow.

 

[Yawn]

Careful Fen with your hysteric interpretation.


I meant it isn't real obvious not to see what side they bat from a) If they are married or involved and b) being seen in your average hotel bar or strip clubs on road trips. There may be a c option for those who stay in the closet but act like they are straight....such as Leigh Steinberg pointed out on a documentary a few years back when he mentioned the gay athlete will for appearance sake, date "high profile" women.

I bet those nights are exciting.

 

[Montezuma's Revenge]

I must admit I feel badly when some former player comes out of the closet and then every reporter thinks they need to ask the current crop what they think about it and how they would feel if one of their teammates were gay.

If a player is fine with it, it never makes the news. If a player makes a moronic comment like James did, they get ripped...

I would argue that it's not a fair question...

Well, here's the other thing: James is allowed -- or at least should be -- to feel that way, no matter how moronic you may think it to be.

We drive more and more players into the say-nothing mode whenever we bash them for not having the "correct" opinion. James was asked a question and answered. I'm sure he didn't rush up to the first reporter he saw that day and begin lighting into gays. It'd be a totally different thing if he were out there participating in anti-gay demonstrations.