This is like if Phil Jackson had been caught on tv calling a ref a f*word coon (wouldn't happen)... people would lose their minds. Gay people should be able to watch a game and not be worried about seeing one of the most popular athletes in the world using language on tv that has been used to bash them... they deserve the same respect as anyone else! It's not like Villaneuva's he said/"she" said... everyone and their momma could see what Kobe said. What's his appeal gonna be, someone fixed the feed (of live footage) to make it seem like I said that when I clearly was saying "Fun king forgot"?
If kg actually said what Charlie claimed, then I think that was A LOT worse than what Kobe said. In the kg case, it (allegedly) was a pointed personal attack, that wasn't just in the heat of the moment. To draw on a persons medical background, and use that to degrade them, is a completely different level, than throwing out a word like the one Kobe used, without thought in a moment of anger.
The word Kobe used has special significance for gay people, but for a much larger group of people, it has unfortunately become just a blanket negative term, used much the same way as "idiot". I'm sure most people would agree, that degrading someone for having cancer is significantly worse than calling them idiot.
Still...I dont really think a big deal should've been made about either. Sticks and stones etc.