Cam Thomas Fined $40,000 For Anti-Gay Remark During Post-Game Interview
Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas has been fined $40,000 for using “derogatory and disparaging language” during a post-game interview after a win over the Chicago Bulls, the NBA announced Friday.
Thomas was interviewed by TNT on the court alongside new teammate Spencer Dinwiddie following the Nets’ 116-105 victory. Two days earlier, Dinwiddie had joked with the media in the wake of the Kyrie Irving trade with the Dallas Mavericks that while the Nets might not have acquired the most talented players in the deal — which included Dorian Finney-Smith going to Brooklyn — they did get the “best-looking.”
“And the Nets needed some help in that department,” Dinwiddie said.
Asked by TNT about Dinwiddie’s comment, Thomas said postgame Thursday night: “We already had good-looking guys, no homo.”
Thomas later took to social media to apologize for the remark.
“I want to apologize for the insensitive word I used in the postgame interview,” he tweeted. “I was excited about the win and was being playful. I definitely didn’t intend to offend anyone, but realize that I probably did. My apologies again. Much love.”
Cam Thomas: “We already had good looking guys, no homo.”pic.twitter.com/2SAsuq36EX
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 10, 2023
According to SB Nation, last year an NBA fan compiled 78 homophobic tweets sent by 36 players that were still live on their Twitter feeds and found 17 instances of “no homo.” As the fan told us, “‘No homo’ as a phrase promotes a negative connotation in regards to gay men, as if we are less-than. It’s still extremely harmful and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to wake up.”
In 2018, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was fined $25,000 by the NBA for saying “no homo” during a post-game interview on Halloween.
However, Thomas dropped 43 points in a 116–112 loss to the Suns, making him the youngest player in NBA history with three consecutive 40-point games. This record was held by Allen Iverson, who had five consecutive 40-point outings in April 1997 during his rookie season.