SportsIllustrated.cnn.com
Miami (AP) -The topic was finding ways to keep transgender children safe, and someone asked for volunteers to share an idea.
Tim Hardaway was the first to raise his hand.
“He was so genuine,” said Martha Fugate, the director of the YES Institute, a children’s advocacy group based in South Miami which hosted that discussion. “He gave the perfect answer.”
Seven months ago, that simply wouldn’t have happened.
Hardaway would have made a joke or said something hurtful, like his infamous “I hate gay people” answer when a radio host asked him how he’d respond to having a gay teammate. That led to the former star point guard’s banishment from NBA All-Star weekend and dealt his reputation an embarrassing blow.