Tim Hardaway's quiet turnaround

Tim Hardaway was was a five-time NBA All-Star, and finished eighth all-time in average assists per game. And yet now when most people think of the former Miami Heat player, what first springs to mind are his February 2007 "I hate gay people" comments.

His virulently homophobic rant occurred on a radio show. The interviewer brought up the recent coming out of John Amaechi and asked Hardaway how he would deal with a gay teammate.

Said Hardaway, "I wouldn’t want him on my team." He added that he would shun a gay teammate and would not want him in the locker room. When the former basketball star was asked if he realized that his remarks were homophobic and bigoted, Hardaway responded,

"Well, you know I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it."

Who knows what he was expecting, but it is clear that Hardaway did pay a price for what he'd done. The NBA moved to distance itself from Hardaway, and Hardaway's employer Trinity Sports fired him.

Now comes news that maybe Hardaway is earnestly repentant about his hateful comments. He's been quietly showing up at the YES Institute, a children's advocacy group based in South Miami. The organization's mission statement:

"To prevent suicide and ensure the healthy development of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and all youth by initiating dialogue, providing education, and creating support systems."

One wonders if Hardaway's motives for developing a relationship with YES are entirely altruistic. (He was trying to launch a coaching career and his ugly homophobic ranting and seeming lack of contrition made him a less-than-desirable coaching candidate.) But the YES Institute does very good work and Hardaway's involvement helps to draw attention to the issue of LGBT teen depression and suicide.

And if all this is is just a PR move, it's a very smart one. The man deserves points for that. He's saying all the right things. When asked by AP why he began attending YES Institute discussion groups...

"I just wanted to go in and get educated, that's all. Get educated on what I said and why I said those things. I'm working on understanding it now. I'm not really trying to make amends. I've been there trying to get help."

Will this be enough to resurrect his tarnished image? What do AfterElton.com readers think?