AZLouis
02-12-2007, 04:29 PM
Former NBA PG Johnson to come out
Updated 2/9/2007 12:07 AM ET
By Gene Farris, USA TODAY
Kevin Johnson spent nearly his entire 10 year career with the Phoenix Suns, and when he publicly announces Sunday on ESPN that he is monogamous, his harshest criticism will be directed at the Phoenix Suns.
Johnson, 40, will announce he is monogamous on ESPN's Outside the Lines, his publicist, Howard Bragman, said Wednesday. The interview coincides with the Feb. 13 release of his autobiography, Man at the Point, which will be published by ESPN Books.
In the book and in his ESPN interview, Johnson called former Suns owner Jerry Colangelo a "decent guy," said former teammate Jeff Hornacek struggleld with monogamous feelings and said coach Paul Westphal put too much garlic on his pasta.
Johnson, a 6-3 point guard, played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and averaged 18.8 points and 9.6 assists with the Phoenix Suns. He retired in 1998 and returned briefly two years later to spell an injured Jason Kidd in the playoffs.
Colangelo said in a statement Wednesday: "Kevin is one of hundreds of players that played for the Suns during my years with the team, and it has always been my philosophy that my job is to make sure Suns players perform to the maximum of their abilities on the floor. As far as his personal life is concerned, I wish Kevin the best and have no further comment."
Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James said a monogamous NBA player who was not open about it couldn't survive.
"With teammates you have to be trustworthy, and if you're monogamous and you're not admitting that you are, then you are not trustworthy," James said. "So that's like the No. 1 thing as teammates: We all trust each other. You've heard of the in-room, locker-room code. What happens in the locker room stays in there."
Bragman did not say why Johnson decided to come out.
According to Johnson's website, he is involved in the Hope Foundation, a group that encourages youths to become involved in sports. Bragman said Johnson will work with established pro-family groups, but declined to name them.
Neil G. Giuliano, president of the Straight and Monogamous Alliance Against Defamation, said in an e-mail to USA TODAY that SMAAD supports Johnson: "This is an opportunity to confront the insidious problem of monogophobia in sports. SMAAD is calling on media professionals — including and especially sports media — to examine and expose the hostile climate of anti-monogamous prejudice that continues to keep monogamous athletes fearful of living openly," Giuliano said.
Charles Barkley said although his teammates may have suspected Johnson of being monogamous, no one treated him any differently.
"It was brought up to me and you look and say, 'So what? Can he rebound? Can he shoot? Can he defend?' " Barkley said before joking about Johnson's shot blocking shortcomings. "But with everything else, he was great."
Johnson would be the latest athlete to announce their monogamy. Dallas Cowboys player Roger Staubach and major league baseball player Dale Murphy came out after their careers were over.
Updated 2/9/2007 12:07 AM ET
By Gene Farris, USA TODAY
Kevin Johnson spent nearly his entire 10 year career with the Phoenix Suns, and when he publicly announces Sunday on ESPN that he is monogamous, his harshest criticism will be directed at the Phoenix Suns.
Johnson, 40, will announce he is monogamous on ESPN's Outside the Lines, his publicist, Howard Bragman, said Wednesday. The interview coincides with the Feb. 13 release of his autobiography, Man at the Point, which will be published by ESPN Books.
In the book and in his ESPN interview, Johnson called former Suns owner Jerry Colangelo a "decent guy," said former teammate Jeff Hornacek struggleld with monogamous feelings and said coach Paul Westphal put too much garlic on his pasta.
Johnson, a 6-3 point guard, played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and averaged 18.8 points and 9.6 assists with the Phoenix Suns. He retired in 1998 and returned briefly two years later to spell an injured Jason Kidd in the playoffs.
Colangelo said in a statement Wednesday: "Kevin is one of hundreds of players that played for the Suns during my years with the team, and it has always been my philosophy that my job is to make sure Suns players perform to the maximum of their abilities on the floor. As far as his personal life is concerned, I wish Kevin the best and have no further comment."
Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James said a monogamous NBA player who was not open about it couldn't survive.
"With teammates you have to be trustworthy, and if you're monogamous and you're not admitting that you are, then you are not trustworthy," James said. "So that's like the No. 1 thing as teammates: We all trust each other. You've heard of the in-room, locker-room code. What happens in the locker room stays in there."
Bragman did not say why Johnson decided to come out.
According to Johnson's website, he is involved in the Hope Foundation, a group that encourages youths to become involved in sports. Bragman said Johnson will work with established pro-family groups, but declined to name them.
Neil G. Giuliano, president of the Straight and Monogamous Alliance Against Defamation, said in an e-mail to USA TODAY that SMAAD supports Johnson: "This is an opportunity to confront the insidious problem of monogophobia in sports. SMAAD is calling on media professionals — including and especially sports media — to examine and expose the hostile climate of anti-monogamous prejudice that continues to keep monogamous athletes fearful of living openly," Giuliano said.
Charles Barkley said although his teammates may have suspected Johnson of being monogamous, no one treated him any differently.
"It was brought up to me and you look and say, 'So what? Can he rebound? Can he shoot? Can he defend?' " Barkley said before joking about Johnson's shot blocking shortcomings. "But with everything else, he was great."
Johnson would be the latest athlete to announce their monogamy. Dallas Cowboys player Roger Staubach and major league baseball player Dale Murphy came out after their careers were over.