Michael Jordan Reportedly Used Anti-Gay Slurs to Harangue Wizards Player (My Title)

Sports Illustrated ^ | 5/7/03 | L. Jon Wertheim

[Greg Luzinski]

At 40, Michael Jordan is job hunting. Is he a good hire?

Scarcely had Michael Jordan left the NBA than he was back, once again the most talked-about man in basketball. The New York Times reported last weekend that Jordan was close to breaking ties with the Wizards, which led to news that he may hook on with the expansion Charlotte franchise, owned by Jordan's friend Robert Johnson.

[MHGinTN]

The name you've chosen to use at FR since 2000 gives me a good chance to say soemthing that needs be said.

Greg Luzinski was one of the greatest drivers ever. His sexual proclivities should never have been even a hint of an issue. The only place such would be relevant would be in locker room comforts ... it is not good to have a known homosexual in the same locker room with non-homosexuals, because of the comfort factor, for the heterosexuals and since society has set up lockerrooms to be male or feamle (no room for alternative sexual proclivities, celebates, like bi's or homos). There have been a few (very rare) homosexuals in the NFL/AFL. When outed, locker room issues were the focus and comfort levels. As far as I know, every homosexual football player was able to find a fellow teammate who would room with them on the road. Point is, as long as homosexuals don't make their sexual proclivities an issue, they ar aren't! [An aside: I used to travel to conventions and sales meetings for my employers; each rep was assigned a roommate for quarters; I never made a deal out of the sexual proclivities of any roommate unless they became an issue; a fellow sales rep brought a prostitute back to the room in New York one night and I promptly made it an issue and was given a different room for the remainder of the meeting. If someone expects tolerance for their sexual proclivities, then they should never let their proclivities become an issue ... ]

[george wythe]

If we open up the subject of how coaches talk to their players, I predict we will have to indict them all

Too late. It's already opened.

See post #7 if you need a reminder

[pbear8]

He's part of a protected victim group so it doesn't matter.

[Buck W.]

"...but he designated second-year forward Kwame Brown as the whipping boy, referring to him, as reported by The Washington Post, as a "flaming faggot." "

Now I'm a big MJ fan, but if Brown wasn't on fire, Jordan should face the music.

[RAT Patrol]

Thanks for drawing my attention to your post seven. Good point.

[Warrior Nurse]

Good point man how have you been?

[weegee]

But then again, Ted Turner kept his despite racist and bigoted comments.

[mabelkitty]

And where was NOW over that issue?

Oh, that's right. Marge was exercising free speech - not trying to get an abortion.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Funny thing is, this guy's a Democrat like his UNC Coach-- Dean Smith.

[AD from SpringBay]

Momma always said, "Flamin' faggot is as flamin' faggot does."

[Tallguy]

Somehow, I don't picture Larry Brown, Phil Jackson, Byron Scott or Isaiah Thomas talking to their players (much less their underage players) that way. Not to mention the fact that Jordan is not their coach and, unlike similarly haranguing Bobby Knight, does not give the impression of caring much about their development as people.

Yeah, he wasn't the coach -- he was more powerful than that! Half the coaches in the NBA are running scared that their star can have them fired.

[mountaineer]

I don't picture Larry Brown, Phil Jackson, Byron Scott or Isaiah Thomas talking to their players (much less their underage players) that way.

I don't know about the coaches, but the L.A. Lakers players refer to the Sacramento team as the "Queens." Shall we have them all tarred and feathered?

[jwalsh07]

His age is irrelevant, he's being paid huge sums of money to perform. Guys and gals two and three years younger than he is are playing for all the chips in foreign lands and getting 155/month and found for it.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

As long as he is retiring, I don't know what anyone can do about his comments, other than not buying any of the products that he endorses.

[putupon]

Before we jump too hard on MJ for calling another player gay, we first need to verify that said player isn't gay.

[mabelkitty]

I don't see the point in this, actually.

Why try and tear down a guy who has done so much for so many.

I don't understand it.

If you could only hear the stuff that was yelled at Albert Bell when he was with the Cleveland Indians. And that was by the Cleveland fans! This stuff happens in sports. They shouldn't pretend that it doesn't.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Reminds me of kids on the playground, the name calling and insults. I would suspect that these professional players are really thick skinned, and have heard much worse than what Jordan said.

[Ruth A.]

As I read this, I find one person accusing MJ of one comment. There are no witnesses and MJ was not given the opportunity to verify the attribution. Where is the corroboration?

I always thought that jocks had thicker skin than this guy does.

[Greg Luzinski]

Reported by the Washington Post.

By the way, makes one kind of wonder how much someone must have disliked Jordan to leak that information.

[TBP]

Not that Robert Johnson, the founder of BET, will care.