I understand the NBA's decision. They are a business that wishes to offend none of their consumers. So, I can see why they made the decision to ban him.
I honestly don't believe he meant hate in that way. How he said it was wrong, but I think he probably just disagrees with their lifestyle decisions and attempt to force it on mainstream America like a lot of us here.
I could understand the feelings of straight guys changing with an openly homosexual in the locker room. I could understand worries about "being checked out". That's generally why there are separate locker rooms for men and women.
Indeed they are a business and they don't want to offend their consumers. But -- they have offended me time after time and are doing it again. When Latrell Sprewell tried to kill his coah twice in one day and the NBA didn't banish his sorry hide to Europe, I lost all respect for the league's front office. The league is full of 'gangstas', drug abusers, and murderous thugs. They are apparently proud of their reputation. Now a man comes out and says something that is true and moral -- Homosexual behavior is wrong ... It shouldn't be here, in the USA, etc. Maybe he said it crudely. Perhaps his words were not carefully thought out. Perhaps he really hates the behavior and not the people. I don't know. But the NBA would have done better by me if they had said, "While Mr. Hardaway's comments don't reflect the position of the NBA, we stand by his right to express his opinion."