Basketball legend Charles Barkley who is known for being outspoken, and he recently opened up about gay players in the NBA during a recent interview.
Charles stated that he has played with many gay players in the past during his career in the NBA:
First of all, every player has played with gay guys. It bothers me when I hear these reporters and jocks get on TV and say: ‘Oh, no guy can come out in a team sport. These guys would go crazy.’ First of all, quit telling me what I think. I’d rather have a gay guy who can play than a straight guy who can’t play.
“Any professional athlete who gets on TV or radio and says he never played with a gay guy is a stone-freakin’ idiot. I would even say the same thing in college. Every college player, every pro player in any sport has probably played with a gay person.”He also spoke on if there was ever a problem in the locker room or having to shower with a gay teammate:
“A guy is never going to put himself in that situation in a professional locker room. It never crossed my mind, and I never felt any different about the guy. They’re not going to do anything in the locker room. Doesn’t work like that.”And went on to say:
“First of all, society discriminates against gay people. They always try to make it like jocks discriminate against gay people. I’ve been a big proponent of gay marriage for a long time, because as a black person, I can’t be in for any form of discrimination at all.”And this is why I like Charles Barkley because he keeps it real & tell it like it is…www.mannamart.com
“We gossiped behind each other’s back before; I’ll be the first to admit that. The first people who whine and complain is them Bible-thumpers, who are supposed to be non-judgmental, who rail against them. I don’t worry about what other people do.”