Updated: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert was fined $75,000 on Sunday by the NBA for using a gay slur and cursing during his news conference after Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.
“While Roy has issued an apology, which is no doubt sincere, a fine is necessary to reinforce that such offensive comments will not be tolerated by the NBA,” Commissioner David Stern said in a statement.
Earlier Sunday, the team issued a statement from Hibbert in which he said he was sorry for his “insensitive remarks.”
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Hibbert said the phrase he used isn’t “appropriate in any setting, private or public” and his language “definitely has no place in a public forum, especially over live television.”
After Saturday night’s win, Hibbert ended a response to a question about his defense on Miami’s LeBron James with “no homo.”
Hibbert had drawn a key charge on James in Indiana’s 91-77 victory over Miami on Saturday and lamented not providing enough help to teammate Paul George on James in Game 3.
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Hibbert was later asked why he finished so low in voting for Defensive Player of the Year, telling reporters that it was “because y’all mother fuckers don’t watch us play throughout the year, to tell you the truth.”
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Hibbert could be disciplined by the NBA, but the center said Saturday that he didn’t care if he got fined.