Socially conscious athletes? Thought they were damn near extinct…

Kobe Bryant Tweets In Opposition Of “You’re Gay” Insult

Via Huffington Post

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant scolded a pair of fans on Twitter over using “gay” as an insult.

On Feb. 10, Bryant wrote:

The NBA champ was responding to an exchange two fans were having on Twitter. One of those fans, whose original tweet has since been deleted, has since said Bryant “just made a big deal over a joke that meant no harm” in response to a number of comments on Twitter, and denied that the controversial remark was made in direct reference to the basketball star himself.

In 2011, Bryant sparked the wrath of a number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy groups when he called a referee a “f*cking faggot” after receiving a technical foul, according to the Associated Press.

After another fan mentioned that controversy (for which Bryant publicly apologized after being fined $100,000), he responded:

Kobe taking responsibility for his comments still wasn’t good enough for some keyboard goons.

What do you think of “The Black Mamba” and his gay-friendly tweet? Hypocrite or hero??

Images via AP/Twitter