Still a taboo subject in many sports, homosexuality can unfortunately close prestigious doors for certain athletes. This is what happened with a legend of the league, whose questionable joke went very badly.
Like the perception of AIDS, will mentalities eventually evolve vis-à-vis this subject? This remains to be proven. Homosexuality is indeed still very discreet in the world of sport, with athletes who still fear the reception that their eventual coming-out would receive. The evolution of society, however, gives hope for progress in this area, especially in the basketball world.
Like NBL star Isaac Humphries, who became the first openly gay player in the history of the Australian league, the NBA could soon see some of its members take this step. For the time being, this phenomenon is nevertheless expected, which can indeed be understood. Indeed, a crazy anecdote delivered by Dennis Rodman should not necessarily encourage them to break down this barrier.
Homophobic Knicks? Rodman’s Lunar Revelation
Last seen on the NBA courts in 2000, Rodman was still very dominant on the rebound. So much so that New York leaned on his profile when looking for a big man during the 2004-05 campaign. Author of an excellent workout, The Worm even thought he was on his way back, before scuttling everything on ABC. He says in his book I Should Be Dead By Now :
I told them I was there to make a special announcement. I said I was gay. I threw that out, and we all started laughing. “No, no, just kidding, just kidding. A little joke, nothing more.
But if this false coming-out was rather well received on the TV set, this was not the case in the offices of the Knicks. What Dennis ended up finding out the hard way:
Two days later, Darren (Prince, his agent, editor’s note) received a phone call from Isiah (Thomas, then GM of the Knicks). “I heard right in his voice that something was wrong,” Darren recalls. Isiah was there, “We have a big problem. I heard the Knicks owner pissed himself off when he heard me say I was gay on The View, and after that he refused to sign me.
Already at the head of the staff of the franchise at the time, James Dolan would not have appreciated at all this astonishing trait of humor from Rodman. It remains to be seen whether it was the words of the mythical interior that shocked him, or his simple lack of seriousness. Anyway, this funny episode seems to have cost Rodzilla his place, who ultimately never put on the sneakers again afterwards.
By declaring himself falsely homosexual on American television, Dennis Rodman would therefore have made it impossible for him to be recruited by the Knicks. A story to say the least amazing, which however does not really surprise from its author!
2023-06-02 15:50:00
#gay #Knicks #refused #recruit
