Kobe fined $100,000

SACRAMENTO -- The NBA wasted no time in passing judgment on Kobe Bryant's homophobic slur shouted at referee Bennie Adams during Tuesday's victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Bryant's comment and apology was covered in an earlier post. Here's what NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement released by the league:

"Kobe Bryant's comment during last night's game was offensive and inexcusable. While I'm fully aware that basketball is an emotional game, such a distasteful term should never be tolerated. Accordingly, I have fined Kobe $100,000. Kobe and everyone associated with the NBA know that insensitive or derogatory comments are not acceptable and have no place in our game or society."

Bryant explained himself this way during an interview with John Ireland and Steve Mason on KSPN (710): "The concern I have is for those who follow what I say and look to me as a role model or whatever it is, not to take what was said as a message of hate or a license to degrade, or embarrass or tease. That's something I don't want to have happen. It's important for me to talk about that issue, because it's OK to be who you are. I don't want this issue to be a part of something to magnify something that shouldn't be."