Amar’e Stoudemire

What was the accusation?

On February 28, 2017, former NBA player Amar’e Stoudemire told Israeli news site Walla Sport that if he had a gay teammate, he would “shower across the street, make sure my change of clothes are around the corner. I’m going to drive…take a different route to the gym.” He also told the interviewer, when asked if he were joking, that “there’s always a truth within a joke.” The next day, Stoudemire issued an apology for his comments, calling them “comedic” responses to hypothetical questions.

Key Apologia Strategies:

Mortification, Minimization

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Transcript

“I want to apologize for my offensive comments against the LGBT community. These remarks were taken from a larger interview where a reporter was asking me hypothetical questions, and all my answers had a comedic undertone.The answers I gave were meant to be taken as jokes, and I am deeply sorry for offending anyone.”

Sources

Amar’e Stoudemire apologizes for remarks he says were made in jest. (2017, March 3). ESPN. Retrieved from http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18802998/amare-stoudemire-apologizes-saying-avoid-gay-teammate

Bodner, B. (2017, March 2). Former Knick Amar’e Stoudemire apologizes for homophobic shower joke. Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/amar-stoudemire-apologizes-homophobic-joke-article-1.2987094

Chiari, M. (2017, March 2). Amar’e Stoudemire apologizes for saying he would avoid a gay teammate. Bleacher Report. Retrieved from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2695769-amare-stoudemire-apologizes-for-saying-he-would-avoid-a-gay-teammate